Orders and Regulations

James McGovern: To ask the Leader of the House what process is used to decide which statutory instruments are to be debated on the Floor of the House.

Jack Straw: Under Standing Order No. 118, all affirmative statutory instruments (other than those referred to the Scottish or Northern Ireland Grand Committees) automatically stand referred to a delegated legislation committee. However, notice may be given of a motion in the name of a Minister of the Crown under sub-paragraph (3)(a) that an instrument shall not stand so referred, in which case it is taken on the Floor of the House. Negative instruments may be taken in delegated legislation committee under paragraph (4).
	Requests from Ministers or from elsewhere in the House for instruments to be taken on the Floor of the House are considered by business managers, including through discussions in the usual channels.

Bailiffs: Certification

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of  (a) certificated bailiffs,  (b) uncertificated bailiffs and  (c) bailiffs doing work requiring certification who do not hold current certification.

Harriet Harman: The regulatory impact assessment for the Tribunals Courts and Enforcement Bill published on 30 January 2007 estimates that there are 1,200 uncertificated bailiffs. As at 30 March 2007 the Register of Certificated Bailiffs maintained by HMCS currently lists 1,482 certificated bailiffs. There should be no bailiffs doing work requiring certification who do not hold a current certificate.

Bailiffs: Certification

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what fees are charged by bailiffs for debt enforcement; and by whom they are payable.

Harriet Harman: Bailiffs fees are included in the sum to be paid by the offender or debtor. There is ho single statutory fee structure but different fees depending on the type of debt and where responsibility for enforcing that debt lies.
	The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, will further regulate the activities of bailiffs and introduce a single simplified fee structure designed to support the principles of transparency, consistency and proportionality.

Coroners: Armed Forces

Robert Key: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what new arrangements she plans to make to fund HM Coroners following her decision to transfer responsibility for coroners inquests from Oxfordshire to the home counties of individual deceased military personnel; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: I will continue to regularly review progress regarding these inquests. I do not plan to make any new funding arrangements where inquests are transferred by the Oxfordshire coroner to coroners' nearer to the next of kin.

Courts: Nottingham

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she expects to lay the Orders relevant to section 178 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to enable the Community Court in Nottingham to conduct cases referred to in that section; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: Responsibility for this legislation rests with the Home Office. Powers under section 178 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to enable the review of a community order have been in operation for almost a year, as a pilot at the Community Justice initiatives in North Liverpool and Salford. We are now assessing their impact, with a view to extending their use to the new community justice courts announced by the Lord Chancellor on 27 November, including Nottingham. This extension will give us further information about the operation of the powers and their impact on offender behaviour, as well as the resources required by the courts and Probation Service. My officials are therefore working with Home Office officials to ensure the affirmative resolution order to extend the powers is taken forward as soon as this assessment is complete.
	Section 178 is one element only of the community justice concept however, and the community court in Nottingham will be able to begin operation, just as Liverpool and Salford did, prior to receiving these powers.

Courts: Pay

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she plans to take to tackle local court staff application shortages in areas with the lowest band pay under the proposed new pay system for local departmental civil servants.

Harriet Harman: Negotiations with the trade unions on the proposed new pay system are continuing. These focus on important issues such as how the pay system will better support effective recruitment of staff into courts across the country. I will write to you once negotiations have been concluded.

Courts: Pay

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on what basis the pay bands were allocated to different regions in the proposed new pay system for local court staff.

Harriet Harman: Negotiations with the trade unions on the new pay system are continuing. These address crucial issues such as how the pay system will better enable the Department to compete effectively in local labour markets. I will write to you once the negotiations have been concluded.

Legal Aid: Wales

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent on legal aid in Wales in each year since 1992; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: Legal aid expenditure in Wales earlier than 1999-2000 pre-dates the current management information systems and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Legal aid funding is administered centrally and is not granted to specific geographical areas.
	An individual based in one area can receive legal help and representation from a legal service provider based in another. The following table shows the amounts paid to legal service providers based in Wales across all areas of legal aid.
	Figures for the Crown court are based on the bills paid for proceedings in Crown court locations based in Wales and Chester.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Legal aid paid for licensed work in civil matters—including representation where available  Legal aid paid for controlled work in civil matters limited to legal advice and assistance  Legal aid paid for legal advice given in criminal matters and also representation in criminal proceedings in the magistrates' courts  Legal aid paid under individual case contracts in lengthy and complex criminal cases (VHCCs)  Legal aid paid by the Crown court locations in Wales and Chester 
			 1999-2000 37.3 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2000-01 27.0 7.2 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2001-02 30.8 9. 1 26.4 0.2 22.9 
			 2002-03 26.8 11. 1 29.9 0.2 28.3 
			 2003-04 32.2 11. 7 29.8 0.1 29.7 
			 2004-05 31.0 11. 2 28.8 0.9 26.5 
			 2005-06 34.8 11. 5 28.3 1.5 25.8

Freeview

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she has received on the allocation of sufficient spectrum to Freeview to ensure its ability to offer higher definition television.

Shaun Woodward: We have received a number of representations about the digital dividend review including some on high definition.
	However, issues about spectrum use are the responsibility of Ofcom. We will continue to consider stakeholder's and Ofcom's views.

Arts: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Government funding local artists in  (a) Hartlepool constituency and  (b) Tees Valley sub-region received in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The tables show the Arts Council's funding commitments to local artists in Hartlepool and Tees Valley in the last 10 years. Local artists are defined as individual artists living in Hartlepool or Tees Valley. Grant in aid figures exclude grants given to regularly funded organisations.
	
		
			  (a) Local artists in the Hartlepool constituency 
			  £ 
			   Grant in aid  Lottery 
			 1997-98 1,284 0 
			 1998-99 2,628 0 
			 1999-2000 3,127 0 
			 2000-01 709 0 
			 2001-02 3,867 0 
			 2002-03 6,476 0 
			 2003-04 0 0 
			 2004-05 0 5,000 
			 2005-06 0 0 
			 2006-07 1,500 0 
			 Total 19,590 5,000 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Local artists in the Tees valley sub region 
			  £ 
			   Grant in aid  Lottery 
			 1997-98 15,509 0 
			 1998-99 18,771 0 
			 1999-2000 24,513 20,900 
			 2000-01 4,950 26,550 
			 2001-02 17,859 0 
			 2002-03 52,355 0 
			 2003-04 91,862 0 
			 2004-05 46,102 0 
			 2005-06 53,313 0 
			 2006-07 104,954 0 
			 Total 430,188 47,450

Arts: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public money was spent on arts projects in  (a) Hartlepool constituency and  (b) Tees Valley sub-region in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The tables show the Arts Council's funding commitments to arts projects in Hartlepool and Tees Valley in the last 10 years. Grant in aid figures exclude grants given to regularly funded organisations.
	
		
			  (a) Arts projects in the Hartlepool constituency 
			  £ 
			   Grant in aid  Lottery 
			 1997-98 76,485 517,568 
			 1998-99 75,533 75,757 
			 1999-2000 154,866 0 
			 2000-01 162,209 7,850 
			 2001-02 114,841 48,000 
			 2002-03 36,922 0 
			 2003-04 17,879 28,578 
			 2004-05 29,055 2,650 
			 2005-06 97,721 0 
			 2006-07 86,363 11,850 
			 Total 851,875 692,253 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Arts projects in the Tees valley sub region 
			  £ 
			   Grant in aid  Lottery 
			 1997-98 610,563 816,961 
			 1998-99 685,460 357,243 
			 1999-2000 966,873 63,000 
			 2000-01 1,043,282 250,287 
			 2001-02 844,498 426,078 
			 2002-03 216,985 478,215 
			 2003-04 245,714 4,930,246 
			 2004-05 533,721 357,693 
			 2005-06 786,917 628,336 
			 2006-07 897,551 432,343 
			 Total 6,831,564 8,740,402

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many people in her Department participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people in her Department who participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98 were paid between (i) £0 to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her by my hon. Friend the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport (Mr. Lammy), on 28 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1401W.

Digital Switchover

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2006,  Official Report, column 501W, on digital switchover, what progress has been made on ensuring that additional energy costs of set-top boxes are reduced; and if she will provide details of the special codes that she intends to introduce.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	Government and Digital UK, the independent, non-profit organisation leading the process of digital TV switchover in the UK, are working to encourage the reduction of energy consumption for digital TV equipment as far as possible:
	We are promoting to consumers the use of digital TVs and set top boxes with low levels of energy consumption. These can be identified by the "Energy Saving Recommended" logo;
	Manufacturers are being encouraged to reduce both the "on" and the "stand-by" power consumption of household appliances through the adoption of design improvements and adherence to maximum power consumption levels set out in the voluntary European Code of Conduct on Energy Efficiency of Digital TV Service Systems;
	We are continuing to work with retailers on the development of a voluntary scheme to encourage the purchase of energy efficient consumer electronics, as announced in Budget 2006;
	Government are committed to using their own purchasing power to bring forward more sustainable products. For example, set-top boxes provided through the Digital Switchover Help Scheme will be expected to meet the European Code of Conduct on Energy Efficiency of Digital TV Service Systems.

Elgin Marbles

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions her Department has had with the government of Greece on the Elgin Marbles; what her policy is on  (a) ownership and  (b) loan to Greece of the Marbles; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: My Department has had no discussions with the Greek Government on the Parthenon Sculptures since December 2004. Items in the collection of the British Museum are vested in the care of the trustees under the British Museum Act 1963. Issues relating to the ownership or loan of the Parthenon Sculptures are matters for the trustees and Government do not intervene.

Energy: Conservation

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what requirement there is for the inclusion of energy saving and energy producing features in the Government's Better Public Building initiative.

Shaun Woodward: As part of its aim of achieving excellent design for all new public buildings, the Better Public Building initiative promotes the Government's Common minimum standards for the procurement of built environments in the public sector. These apply across the public building programme. Energy performance is included within the sustainability section of these standards.

Football: World Cup

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the likely benefits which will result from bidding to host the 2018 Football World Cup.

Richard Caborn: No assessment of the likely benefits that will result from bidding to host the 2018 Football World cup has been made by the Government. The Government feasibility study "Hosting the World Cup" acknowledges both the potential for wider economic benefits and intangible benefits arising from hosting such a major sporting event. The study also advises that should the Football Association bid to host the event, they should commission an independent study into the wider economic benefits of hosting the competition to be published alongside the bid document.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with colleagues in other departments on the impact on their budgets of the increased cost of the Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: We have been engaged in a rigorous review of costs since London was awarded the games in July 2005. Following the conclusion of discussions within Government, I announced on 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 450, a budget for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and on a number of issues including wider security, tax and contingency provision.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the £738 million of private sector funding itemised as part of the public sector funding package for the 2012 Olympics will be raised.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 8 March  2007
	Private sector funding has never been part of the public sector funding package, but at the time of the bid, we were pursuing options for private sector funding. The bid reflected this potential, but in light of further work and advice after the bid, it seemed incompatible to achieve funding with the sort of time scale that was going to be necessary.
	As I said when replying to the hon. Member's questions on 15 March after making my statement to the House
	"We have now allowed for a private sector contribution in the budget, but on a pessimistic basis against the full expectation of what might be raised ... Negotiations are underway ... with different private sector partners so it is possible, but not certain that that may change."
	This excludes the Olympic village where the major share of funding will come from the private sector.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will break down by main budget heading the Olympic Delivery Authority's planned expenditure for each year until 2012; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I am not yet in a position to be able to provide this breakdown. This will be detailed in the Olympic Delivery Authority's Corporate Plan which they are currently developing and plan to publish by the end of the summer.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  whether her revised Olympic Budget of 15 March contains an estimate for the potential amount of planning gain supplement tax that may be incurred;
	(2)  whether she has received any advice from the Treasury on the likely impact of the proposed planning gain supplement tax on the Olympic Games budget.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 22 March 2007
	 The Government are now carefully considering the responses to the consultations on the Planning-gain Supplement (PGS) which closed recently. If, after further consideration, the Government decides to proceed with PGS then it would be introduced no earlier than 2009.
	The Government announced at the 2006 pre-Budget report that transitional arrangements would aim to ensure that developments already formally in the planning process would not be subject to PGS.
	The Government propose that for development where planning permission was granted before an appropriate appointed day in the future, including for outline planning permissions, PGS would not apply.

Sports: Finance

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department provides for sports at the grass roots level.

Richard Caborn: Since 1997, the Government and national lottery distributing bodies have committed over £3 billion to grass-roots sport which includes over 4,000 new or refurbished facilities, 3,000 community sports coaches and tax relief to over 4,000 amateur sports clubs.

Tourism: Smoking

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the ban on smoking in public places in the Health Act 2006 on tourism to the UK from the Middle East.

David Lammy: None. Evidence from the Republic of Ireland, provided by Tourism Ireland to VisitBritain shows that the smoking ban introduced in April 2004 has not produced any general adverse effect on inbound tourism numbers. VisitBritain's overseas offices are providing information about the smoking bans in force in Scotland and Wales, and to be introduced in England, to potential visitors from the middle east.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps her Department is taking to meet the Government's commitment to strengthen the work of the UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Lashkar Gar in Helmand province as set out in the Enduring Relationship Action Plan 2006-07.

Margaret Beckett: Through the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Helmand Province, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials are leading a cross-governmental team in which development, governance, stabilisation, and police advisers are already working with the provincial government and local organisations to increase their capacity and to increase the stretch of the central government. The PRT is now being strengthened by an additional five FCO officers to assist in this work. The Enduring Relationship Declaration and Action Plan highlights the UK's long term commitment to Afghanistan and its people, as they strive to achieve stability, security and prosperity.

Burma: EC External Relations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will take steps to strengthen the EU Common Position on Burma when it comes up for renewal.

Ian McCartney: The EU Common Position on Burma is adopted by consensus. Any amendment or strengthening of the Common Position needs to be agreed unanimously. Our discussions within the EU have indicated there is no consensus to amend the Common Position. Given the views of some of our EU partners, we believe that the current Common Position is currently the best achievable policy. Despite criticisms of it, the Common Position is valuable in uniting 27 nations in an expression of concern about the abuse of human rights and lack of democracy inside Burma.
	I raised the appalling human rights situation in Burma at the EU Association of South East Asian Nations Foreign Ministers' meeting in Nuremberg on 15 March.

Burma: Ethnic Groups

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what reports she has received of the recent military activity by the Burmese Army in Karen state; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent reports she has received of  (a) attacks by the Burmese Army on Karen civilians and  (b) the displacement by the Burmese Army of civilians in the Mon Township;
	(3)  what recent reports she has received of attacks by the Burmese Army in the Papun District; and what her estimate is of the number of Karen villagers displaced by such attacks.

Ian McCartney: We are aware of reports from the Free Burma Rangers of recent military activity in Mon Township and Papun District and the displacement of up to 1,400 people. Officials from our Embassy in Rangoon do not have access to conflict areas and cannot confirm the number of displaced people. We have repeatedly condemned attacks on civilians and remain concerned about the situation in conflict areas in Burma which has resulted in a significant increase in the number of internally displaced people and refugees on the Thai/Burmese border.
	I raised our serious concerns about the Burmese army's offensive in Karen State when I called in the Burmese Ambassador on 15 June 2006 and wrote to the Burmese Foreign Minister on 5 July 2006.
	Most recently, I raised the Burmese regime's appalling human rights record at the EU/Association of South East Asian Nations Ministerial Meeting in Nuremberg on 15 March in the presence of the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister.

Burma: Human Rights

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the implications of reports she has received in the treatment of women of ethnic minorities in Burma by the Burmese Army for initiatives to improve the Burmese government's record in human rights; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations she has received on the treatment of Chin women in Burma by the  (a) Burmese Army and  (b) other Burmese state agencies; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We are aware of the report "Unsafe State" published by the Women's League of Chinland, documenting the abuses of Chin women at the hands of the Burmese authorities.
	On 24 January, I met representatives from the Women's League of Chinland and the Chin Human Rights Organisation to discuss the many difficulties faced by the Chin community in Burma, including sexual violence.
	We condemn the use of all forms of sexual Violence and all other human rights violations. I raised the issue of sexual violence directly with the Burmese ambassador on 15 June 2006 and again in my letter to the Burmese Foreign Minister on 5 July 2006. I have raised our concerns about the human rights situation in Burma with the Governments of India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.
	I raised Burma at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 13 March. Most recently, I raised our concerns about Burma at the EU/Association of South East Asian Nations Ministerial Meeting on 15 March in the presence of the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister.
	We have helped to ensure that resolutions at the UN General Assembly have called for an end to the use of rape and sexual violence by the armed forces in Burma. We shall continue, bilaterally and with international partners, to urge the Burmese regime to pursue laws and practices which will put an end to the Burmese army's use of sexual violence.

Burma: Human Rights

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal steps the Government has taken to enforce the Geneva Convention following the statement in the report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Burma on human rights abuses in conflict areas and humanitarian law.

Ian McCartney: We have repeatedly called on the Burmese government to comply with all international law and applicable humanitarian law and raised our concerns directly with the regime and in international fora most recently when I raised the issue in my intervention at the EU-Association of South East Asian Nations Foreign Ministers' meeting in Nuremberg on 14 March.
	We fully support the work of Professor Pinheiro, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, and his reports on the Burmese regime's serious human rights violations.

Council of Europe

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) diplomatic service staff and  (b) locally-recruited staff are employed at the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, broken down by pay grade.

Geoff Hoon: There are five diplomatic staff at Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) pay grades A2, B3, C4, D7 and SMS2 and five locally recruited staff; two at FCO pay grades LEIIIA and one each at grades LEIIIB, LEIV and LEVc, employed at the UK Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe.

Departments: Public Appointments

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by her Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to her by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Dr. Howells), on 19 December 2005,  Official Report, column 2491W.

Diplomatic Service: Languages

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many foreign language speakers were employed in the diplomatic service in each year between 1997 and 2006, broken down by language spoken.

Geoff Hoon: The following table shows the total number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff employed as of March 2007 that have a language qualification in one of the priority languages recorded on the FCO Management Information system.
	FCO staff will have varying degrees of fluency in these priority languages. In order to provide a year on year breakdown of language qualifications we would need to extract both the start and end dates of the qualification. This information was not mandatory on the previous management information system and any breakdown would not provide a true reflection of the total number of staff that have a language qualification.
	
		
			  FCO priority languages (critical languages that directly help achieve FCO strategic priorities)  Total number of FCO staff( 1)  with a language qualification recorded on the FCO management information system March 2007 
			 Arabic 230 
			 Burmese 9 
			 Mandarin/Cantonese 141 
			 Dari/Farsi/Pashtu 27 
			 French 3,030 
			 German 1,460 
			 Indonesian 46 
			 Italian 299 
			 Japanese 152 
			 Korean 24 
			 Portuguese (Brazilian and European) 195 
			 Russian 326 
			 Spanish (Latin American and European) 1,056 
			 Thai 42 
			 Turkish 90 
			 Urdu 49 
			 Vietnamese 11 
			 (1) Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff] including a small number of monthly and fee paid officers.

European Union

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs following the statement in the Berlin Declaration, whether it is the Government's policy to support a treaty to give effect to the statement that member states are united in the aim of placing the European Union on a renewed common basis before the European Parliament elections in 2009; and whether she agreed to the statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Declaration, marking the 50th anniversary signing of the Treaties of Rome, is a political statement recalling the historic achievements of the last 50 years, and looking ahead to the challenges that we, the member states of the EU, need to face together. It was right that the UK was part of that celebration.
	The Declaration was drafted by the German Presidency although they consulted member states, in the course of that process, on elements they wished to see included.
	At present, there is no consensus among EU member states on the future of the Constitutional Treaty. The German Presidency will present a report to the June European Council on the state of discussions on the question. The Government makes no presumption on the outcome of these discussions. Its approach was set out in my written ministerial statement of 5 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 10-11WS.

Iraq: Oil

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what definition she uses of  (a) 'production-sharing agreements' for oil extraction and  (b) 'exploration and production contracts' in the draft Iraqi hydrocarbons legislation.

Geoff Hoon: There is no mention of the term "production sharing agreements" in Iraq's draft hydrocarbons legislation. The term 'exploration and production contract' does appear in the draft hydrocarbons legislation. However, interpretation of Iraqi legislation is a matter for the Government of Iraq.

Occupied Territories: Property Transfer

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK position is on the legality of  (a) marketing in the UK and  (b) purchasing from the UK property for sale in settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories which are deemed illegal according to international law; and what advice the Government gives to British companies and organisations on the legal status of such transactions.

Geoff Hoon: We regard all settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as illegal under international law and have repeatedly raised our concerns about settlement activity with the Israeli Government. The Government do not advise or encourage companies and organisations to market or sell property in the settlements, however it is not unlawful to do so under UK law.

Occupied Territories: Property Transfer

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what the UK position is on the purchasing in the UK property in settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories which are deemed illegal according to international law; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the UK position on the legality of marketing in the UK property in settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories which are deemed illegal according to international law.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Richard Burden) today (UIN 130813).

Queen Elizabeth II: Anniversaries

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which UK diplomatic missions  (a) hosted and  (b) did not host parties to celebrate HM The Queen's birthday in 2006.

Geoff Hoon: The information the hon. Member has requested can be found in the following table:
	 Queen's Birthday Parties (OBP)
	
		
			  Countries with resident ambassadors where an official Queen's birthday party did not take place in 2006 
			  Region  Country  Post  QBP 
			 Asia Pacific Mongolia Ulaanbaatar No 
			 Africa Algeria Algiers No 
		
	
	
		
			  Countries where celebrations took place in 2006 
			  Region  Country  Post  QBP 
			 North America USA Washington Yes 
			  USA Los Angeles Yes 
			  USA Chicago Yes 
			 Caribbean Dominica Bridgetown Yes 
			  Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain Yes 
			 South America Argentina Buenos Aires Yes 
			  Bolivia La Paz Yes 
			  Brazil Brasilia Yes 
			  Brazil Rio de Janeiro Yes 
			  Brazil São Paulo Yes 
			  Chile Santiago Yes 
			  Colombia Bogotá Yes 
			  Costa Rica San Jose Yes 
			  Cuba Havana Yes 
			  Ecuador Quito Yes 
			  Guatemala Guatemala City Yes 
			  Guyana Georgetown Yes 
			  Mexico Mexico City Yes 
			  Panama Panama City Yes 
			  Peru Lima Yes 
			  Uruguay Montevideo Yes 
			  Venezuela Caracas Yes 
			 Europe, Russia and South Caucasus Albania Tirana Yes 
			  Armenia Yerevan Yes 
			  Austria Vienna Yes 
			  Belarus Minsk Yes 
			  Belgium Brussels Yes 
			  Belgium UK Delegation to NATO Yes 
			  Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo Yes 
			  Bulgaria Sofia Yes 
			  Croatia Zagreb Yes 
			  Cyprus Nicosia Yes 
			  Czech Republic Prague Yes 
			  Denmark Copenhagen Yes 
			  Estonia Tallinn Yes 
			  Finland Helsinki Yes 
			  France Paris Embassy with the UK Delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Yes 
			  France Lyon Yes 
			  France Lille Yes 
			  France UK Delegation in Strasbourg Yes 
			  Georgia Tbilisi Yes 
			  Germany Berlin Yes 
			  Germany Dusseldorf Yes 
			  Germany Hamburg Yes 
			  Germany Munich Yes 
			  Luxembourg Luxembourg Yes 
			  Greece Athens Yes 
			  Hungary Budapest Yes 
			  Iceland Reykjavik Yes 
			  Ireland Dublin Yes 
			  Italy Rome Yes 
			  Italy Holy See Yes 
			  Italy Naples Yes 
			  Italy Venice Yes 
			  Italy Genoa Yes 
			  Italy Trieste Yes 
			  Italy Milan Yes 
			  Italy Bari Yes 
			  Italy Catania Yes 
			  Italy Palermo Yes 
			  Kazakhstan Almaty Yes 
			  Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Yes 
			  Kazakhstan Bishkek Yes 
			  Latvia Riga Yes 
			  Lithuania Vilnius Yes 
			  Macedonia Skopje Yes 
			  Malta Valletta Yes 
			  Moldova Chisinau Yes 
			  Netherlands Amsterdam Yes 
			  Netherlands The Hague Yes 
			  Norway Oslo Yes 
			  Poland Warsaw Yes 
			  Portugal Lisbon Yes 
			  Romania Bucharest Yes 
			  Russia St. Petersburg Yes 
			  Russia Moscow Yes 
			  Russia Ekaterinburg Yes 
			  Serbia and Montenegro Belgrade Yes 
			  Slovakia Bratislava Yes 
			  Slovenia Ljubljana Yes 
			  Spain Madrid Yes 
			  Sweden Stockholm Yes 
			  Switzerland Berne Yes 
			  Turkey Ankara Yes 
			  Turkey Istanbul Yes 
			  Ukraine Kiev Yes 
			 Africa Angola Luanda Yes 
			  Botswana Gabarone Yes 
			  Burundi Bujumbura Yes 
			  Cameroon Yaounde Yes 
			  Congo (Democratic Republic) Kinshasa Yes 
			  Egypt Cairo Yes 
			  Ethiopia Addis Ababa Yes 
			  The Gambia Banjul Yes 
			  Ghana Accra Yes 
			  Kenya Nairobi Yes 
			  Libya Tripoli Yes 
			  Malawi Lilongwe Yes 
			  Mauritius Port Louis Yes 
			  Morocco Rabat Yes 
			  Morocco Casablanca Yes 
			  Mozambique Maputo Yes 
			  Namibia Windhoek Yes 
			  Nigeria Lagos Yes 
			  Nigeria Abuja Yes 
			  Rwanda Kigali Yes 
			  Senegal Dakar Yes 
			  Seychelles Victoria Yes 
			  Sierra Leone Freetown Yes 
			  South Africa Pretoria Yes 
			  Sudan Khartoum Yes 
			  Swaziland Mbabane Yes 
			  Tanzania Dar es Saalam Yes 
			  Tunisia Tunis Yes 
			  Uganda Kampala Yes 
			  Zambia Lusaka Yes 
			  Zimbabwe Harare Yes 
			 South and Central Asia Afghanistan Kabul Yes 
			  Azerbaijan Baku Yes 
			  Bangladesh Dhaka Yes 
			  India New Delhi Yes 
			  India Mumbai Yes 
			  Nepal Kathmandu Yes 
			  Pakistan Islamabad Yes 
			  Pakistan Peshawar Yes 
			  Pakistan Karachi Yes 
			  Pakistan Quetta Yes 
			  Sri Lanka Colombo Yes 
			  Turkmenistan Ashgabat Yes 
			  Uzbekistan Tashkent Yes 
			 Middle East Bahrain Bahrain Yes 
			  Iraq Baghdad Yes 
			  Iraq Basra Yes 
			  Iraq Kirkuk Yes 
			  Iran Tehran Yes 
			  Israel Tel Aviv Yes 
			  Jerusalem Jerusalem Yes 
			  Jordan Amman Yes 
			  Kuwait Kuwait Yes 
			  Lebanon Beirut Yes 
			  Oman Muscat Yes 
			  Qatar Doha Yes 
			  Saudi Arabia Riyadh Yes 
			  Saudi Arabia Jeddah Yes 
			  Saudi Arabia Al Khobar Yes 
			  Syria Damascus Yes 
			  Syria Aleppo Yes 
			  United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Yes 
			  United Arab Emirates Dubai Yes 
			  Yemen Sana'a Yes 
			 Asia Pacific Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan Yes 
			  Burma Rangoon Yes 
			  Cambodia Phnom Penh Yes 
			  China Beijing Yes 
			  China Guangzhou Yes 
			  China Hong Kong Yes 
			  China Macau Yes 
			  Fiji Suva Yes 
			  Indonesia Jakarta Yes 
			  Japan Tokyo Yes 
			  Korea (North) Pyongyang Yes 
			  Korea (South) Seoul Yes 
			  Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Yes 
			  Philippines Manila Yes 
			  Singapore Singapore Yes 
			  Thailand Bangkok Yes 
		
	
	Official celebrations in Her Majesty The Queen's realms and in the UK's Overseas Territories come under the auspices of the respective governor-general/governor of those countries and territories.
	It was agreed (in 2003) with Buckingham Palace that QBPs need not take place every year. The frequency is at the discretion of the Head of Post, but a full reception should be held at least once during their tenure. In other years, smaller events such as a lunch may be held, according to local custom, though the birthday should be marked in some fashion.

Somalia: Official Visits

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2017W, on Somalia: official visits, what recent discussions she has had with her  (a) United States and  (b) EU counterparts on the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM); what commitments have been made to support AMISOM as a result of these discussions; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, and officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, have been in frequent contact with US and EU colleagues, both bilaterally and in international fora, including the UN and the International Contact Group for Somalia, regarding the African Union's (AU) stabilisation mission to Somalia (AMISOM). I have also discussed it with my EU colleagues at recent EU Foreign Ministers' meetings. We urge a prompt, focused and co-ordinated international response to help Somalis seize this historic opportunity for stability, which is what Somalia needs above all.
	AMISOM is a key element in bringing stability to Somalia. For this reason, the UK sponsored United Nations Security Council Resolution 1744, adopted unanimously on 20 February. The Resolution explicitly authorises the deployment of AMISOM, as well as recognising the need for a reconciliation and a political process in Somalia, and permitting support to the Transitional Federal government and Institutions to develop their own security sector. We commend the AU for taking on this mission and are grateful to those countries that have so far offered to contribute personnel to AMISOM.
	On UK contributions to AMISOM, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe (Mr. Hoon), today (UIN 130261).

Somalia: Official Visits

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2017W, on Somalia: official visits, which African Union countries have pledged troop contributions to the African Union Mission in Somalia; how many troops they have pledged; when she expects those contributing to deploy those troops; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: Uganda has pledged nearly 1,700 troops to Somalia as part of the African Union (AU) stabilisation force (AMISOM), most of which we believe have now deployed. We understand that Ghana, Burundi, Nigeria and Malawi have also pledged troops to AMISOM, which would bring the total numbers to around 4,000, although the timeframe for these deployments remains unclear.
	The UK has made clear its strong support for AMISOM and believes that a prompt and effective AMISOM deployment is vital for bringing long-term stability to Somalia. For this reason, we are discussing with several potential troop contributing countries what support we might best provide them. We have also offered direct support to the AU. On UK contributions to AMISOM, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe (Mr. Hoon), today (UIN 130261).

Somalia: Official Visits

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her Answer of 7 March 2007, Of ficial Report, column 2017W, on Somalia: official visits, what financial and logistical support the British government is contributing to the African Union Mission in Somalia; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Government believes it is vital that a successful African Union (AU) Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) deployment ensures lasting stability in Somalia. The UK has offered planning, and logistical support for a Somalia planning cell within the AU's Peace and Security Operations Division in Addis Ababa. The UK has also offered planning, logistical and financial assistances direct to troop contributing countries.
	We strongly support the early disbursement of the EU's pledge of €15 million to AMISOM.

Somalia: Terrorism

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent of the presence of Al-Qaeda in Somalia; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn) on 10 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 281-82.
	Al-Qaeda seeks to exploit ungoverned space to advance its terrorist agenda. Therefore, we are working with the international community to re-build the Somali State, through the establishment of Transitional Federal Institutions, in order to bring peace and stability to the country. This will make it more difficult for al-Qaeda to operate in Somalia.
	In the meantime, we continue to work with the Transitional Federal government of Somalia, and our international allies, in tackling the threat posed by al-Qaeda from Somalia.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made in the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement.

Margaret Beckett: Lack of buy-in from a broad range of rebel groups means that there has only been limited progress with the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), particularly on the wealth sharing and security provisions. But a few of the power-sharing provisions of the DPA have been implemented. Minni Minawi was appointed Special Assistant to the President, and nominations have been made to some positions on the Transitional Darfuri Regional Authority and other bodies, but this remains insufficient.
	We have been funding work to help the African Union (AU) explain the benefits of the DPA to the people of Darfur. And we are funding an expert to support the AU in preparing the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue arid Consultation.
	A renewed political process, which brings in as broad a range of the Darfur population as possible, is needed.
	At the UN high level meeting in Addis Ababa last November, the AU and UN committed to convening a meeting between the signatories (government of Sudan and Minni Minawi's group) and non-signatories to the DPA. The UN and AU envoys for the political process (Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim) visited Sudan together from 23 to 28 March.
	We are very concerned at the slow pace of progress on the political track and are in touch with the UN and AU at all levels to urge faster movement.

Syrian Arab Republic: Kamal al-Labwani

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1202W, on the Syrian Arab Republic: Kamal al-Labwani, what steps UK officials in Damascus are taking to monitor the ongoing detention of Dr Kamal Al-Labwani.

Geoff Hoon: UK officials, together with their EU colleagues, attend the court cases of Dr. Kamal al-Labwani wherever possible. They are also in regular contact with Dr. al-Labwani's lawyers and members of his family. Officials from our embassy in Damascus and EU colleagues attended Dr. al-Labwani's latest court appearance on 10 April, at which the judge postponed the trial to 10 May. Dr. al-Labwani was allowed to greet family, friends and diplomats. With EU partners We continue to make our concerns known to the Syrian authorities.

Turkey: EC Enlargement

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her Turkish counterpart on the steps Turkey is taking to comply with EU rules to allow it to progress with membership of the EU.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Turkey on 26-27 March and had a productive meeting with Foreign Minister Gul, which included discussion of Turkey's EU accession process. The UK continues to encourage Turkey to take the steps necessary to meet the requirements of the acquis. Progress is being made with the EU and Turkey agreeing on 29 March to formality open negotiations on enterprise and industrial policy.

Zimbabwe

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she last discussed Zimbabwe with her South African counterpart; and what the outcome was of the discussion.

Margaret Beckett: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Ian McCartney, gave to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 600W.

Biofuels: North West Region

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to promote alternative fuels in the North West in the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government encourage the use of alternative fuels through reduced rates of Vehicle Excise Duty for cars run on certain alternative fuels and registered after 1 March 2001, and through differentials in fuel duty between petrol and diesel and other fuels. There are no specific initiatives for the north-west.
	The Government also provide funds to the Energy Saving Trust to run an Infrastructure grant programme. The grants assist the building of refuelling stations for alternative fuels (natural gas/biogas, hydrogen and bio-ethanol).
	The are also due to introduce a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation in April 2008 which will ensure a significant and stable market for biofuels in the UK, and is likely to mean that biofuels are available in low blends at the majority of forecourts in the UK.

Driving Offences: Insurance

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the number of regular drivers without adequate insurance in England.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cannock Chase (Dr. Wright) on Thursday 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1063W. Separate figures for England are not available.

Railways: Portsmouth

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1384W, on Railways: Portsmouth, what estimate he has made of the end date for the continued engineering overrun in the Portsmouth area; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Stagecoach South Western Trains (SSWT) have advised the Department that they continue to have detailed discussions with Network Rail regarding the engineering overrun in the Portsmouth area and to date Network Rail have been unable to confirm a revised completion date with SSWT.
	SSWT has made appropriate changes to their timetable to ensure that they are able to maintain the best service given the restrictions to access.

Rights of Way

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of local authorities' rights of way improvement plans.

Barry Gardiner: I have been asked to reply.
	In its role as a statutory consultee, Natural England has been reviewing, and offering guidance on, individual Rights of Way Improvement Plans as they are being prepared. The quality of those adopted so far is reported to be generally very good. By the middle of last month, 14 per cent. of local highway authorities in England had adopted plans—well in advance of the 21 November 2007 deadline. A further 66 per cent. were expected to meet the deadline. I wrote to the chief executives of the remaining 20 per cent. on 27 February 2007 to remind them of their statutory obligations.
	I cannot comment on the progress of Rights of Way Improvement Plans in Wales as the National Assembly Government has delegated authority in this area.

Air Pollution: Government Departments

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is considering to reduce the amount of carbon emissions that Government buildings produce.

Ian Pearson: Working with the Carbon Trust, DEFRA has developed a systematic approach to carbon management and is actively engaged in identifying carbon reduction opportunities through operational improvements, reduced energy costs, staff awareness and monitoring initiatives.
	A system for benchmarking, monitoring and analysing utility usage across the estate has been created which highlights buildings where substantial energy savings can be made. Focusing on these sites has helped identify key projects which will return major savings on energy consumption and carbon emissions.
	Among other smaller projects, three major 'voltage optimisation' projects which could save the Department a potential 900 tonnes of carbon per year (8 per cent. of DEFRA's total annual carbon emissions) are currently being assessed with a view to implement before the end of the financial year. The success of these pilot projects will influence the roll out of further initiatives in the new financial year.

Biofuels

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has commissioned on the effects on biodiversity of biomass and biofuel crops.

Ian Pearson: My Department funds an ongoing programme of research on Non Food Crops, which includes assessing the effects of energy crops on biodiversity. In particular, we are funding an extension to the RELU-biomass (Rural Economy and Land Use) project to asses field-scale impacts on biodiversity from New Crops. New research for 2007 is planned to model the landscape scale impacts of biomass crops on biodiversity.
	Current evidence indicates that, in comparison with arable crops, energy crops such as short rotation coppice and miscanthus can encourage biodiversity, particularly for birds and insects, although the species composition may differ to those normally found on arable land.

Bluetongue Disease

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what compensation packages are in place for farmers whose stock  (a) become infected with blue tongue disease and  (b) need to be contiguously culled.

Ben Bradshaw: As Bluetongue is spread via vectors (that is, midges), rather than from animal to animal, compulsory slaughter of ruminants infected with bluetongue would not normally ford part of our control strategy. We would not, therefore, expect any compensation to be payable.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the size is of the restricted area needed to isolate a farm from blue tongue;
	(2)  what plans he has made to combat an outbreak of blue tongue disease.

Ben Bradshaw: The Bluetongue Order 2003 implements, in England, the requirements of European Union Council Directive 2000/75/EEC, which lays down specific measures for the control and eradication of Bluetongue. Similar legislation applies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
	The legislation provides for measures (including veterinary investigation and movement restrictions) on premises where the presence of disease is suspected. When disease is confirmed, an initial zone of 20 kilometres (km) radius, a Protection Zone (PZ) of at least 100 km radius and Surveillance Zone (SZ) (at least 50 km beyond the PZ) would be established surrounding the infected premises. The measures applying to suspect premises are maintained and extended to all premises with susceptible animals in the 20 km zone. There is also a ban on the movement of animals out of the PZ, or out of the SZ, although some derogations from movement restrictions may be allowed, in agreement with the European Commission.
	The Bluetongue Control Strategy, agreed in 2002, which is available on the DEFRA website, sets out the disease control measures in more detail. The strategy is currently under review (in partnership with industry) in light of experience and epidemiological evidence from the 2006 Northern European outbreak, and may therefore be subject to amendment.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Cheshire

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many false positive results were obtained from tests for bovine tuberculosis undertaken in Eddisbury constituency in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much compensation was paid to farmers in Eddisbury constituency for the slaughter of cattle with bovine tuberculosis in each year since 2001.

Ben Bradshaw: Routine cattle herd testing for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Great Britain, uses the single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test (commonly known as the "skin test").
	Research shows that when the skin test is applied to cattle in bTB-free herds in Great Britain, there is a less than one in 1,000 chance that a non-infected animal will be wrongly classified as a reactor. This is known as the test's false positive rate. An alternative way of defining this is to say that the skin test has a specificity in excess of 99.9 per cent. Although the probability of getting at least one false positive result increases with the size of the herd being tested, it would be extremely rare to find more than one false positive in a herd.
	When considering the false positive issue it is important to bear in mind that failure to confirm the disease by post-mortem examination at the slaughterhouse, or by culturing the causative bacterium in the laboratory, does not mean that the animal was not infected with bTB. In the early stages of this infectious disease, it is not always possible to see lesions with the naked eye and, due to the fastidious nature of the organism, it is not possible to culture it from tissue samples in every case. Because of this it is not possible to give a meaningful figure for the number of false positive test results.
	Statistics on cattle slaughtered under bTB control measures are not collected on a constituency basis, but at county level. The following table shows the number of cattle slaughtered under TB control measures in Cheshire in the last five years:
	
		
			   Number of TB reactors slaughtered  Total number of cattle slaughtered( 1) 
			 2006(2) 120 149 
			 2005(2) 140 248 
			 2004 285 425 
			 2003 422 874 
			 2002(3) 299 393 
		
	
	Details of compensation paid to farmers for the slaughter of cattle under bTB control measures are not available on either a constituency or a county basis. The following table shows the number of animals slaughtered under TB control measures in Great Britain in each year since 2001 and the amount of compensation paid as a result:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total number of cattle slaughtered( 1)  Compensation paid (£ million) 
			 2006(2) 22,242 28.2 
			 2005(2) 30,081 42.8 
			 2004 23,064 33.8 
			 2003 23,821 38.2 
			 2002(3) 23,744 23.1 
			 2001(3) 6,549 7.1 
			 (1) TB reactors, inconclusive reactors and direct contacts. (2) Provisional data, subject to change as more data becomes available. (3) In 2001, the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended due to the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. When testing resumed in 2002, resources were concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests which would have had a longer period in which to contract the disease. Also the proportion of high risk herds tested immediately after the FMD outbreak was greater than that prior to the outbreak. As a result, data for 2001 and 2002 is not comparable with other years.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Compensation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to ensure that compensation for the slaughter of cattle with actual or presumed bovine tuberculosis is at market value.

Ben Bradshaw: In England, cattle compensation for bovine tuberculosis is determined each month, primarily using table valuations based on contemporaneous sales prices. The 47 cattle categories used were finalised after two public consultations.
	To support the system, sales data is continuously collected, by an independent service provider, from a large number and wide range of sources across Great Britain. These sources include "regular" markets, dispersal sales, and breed sales.
	A statistical analysis of sales data collected during a 12 month period has helped Defra to identify the level of variability in sales prices for each category. This intelligence is used to determine when there are insufficient data to support a table valuation.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Dogs

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) assessed on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis amongst dogs; and whether he plans to make this a notifiable disease.

Ben Bradshaw: TB in dogs is already notifiable. The Tuberculosis (England) Order 2006, introduced a duty to report suspected TB in the carcase of any farmed or pet mammal to the Divisional Veterinary Manager of Animal Health (previously the State Veterinary Service). The Order also made it compulsory to notify the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) if  Mycobacterium bovis ( M. bovis) is identified by laboratory examination of samples taken from any mammal (other than a human).
	Although TB can affect dogs, the apparent incidence is very low. Until 2006, the VLA typically processed fewer than five samples from dogs each year. Since enactment of the new TB Order in March last year, the number of canine submissions to the VLA has increased and tissue samples from 20 dogs were processed in 2006. Only four cases of confirmed infection of canine TB caused by  M. bovis have been recorded by the VLA between 1993 and 2004. There have been no confirmed cases since 2004.
	The consensus of veterinary opinion is that dogs are a spill-over host for  M. bovis and not an epidemiologically significant source of infection for cattle or other species. Therefore, no research has been conducted in this area.

Chlorofluorocarbons

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the amount of UK chlorofluorocarbon emissions from each source; what steps his Department is taking to reduce each of these sources; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 27 March 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Minister of State for Science and Innovation, Department of Trade and Industry, on 19 March 2007,  Official  R eport, column 629W, on phase out of remaining specialised uses of chlorofluorocarbons in the UK.
	The most recent estimates of UK emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the UK conclude that emissions have been decreasing since 1995. For example, emissions of CFC-11 dropped from 2.3 kilotonnes per year in 1995 to 0.6 kilotonnes per year. Similarly, emissions of CFC-12 and CFC-113 have dropped from 3.6 and 1.1 kilotonnes per year in 1995 to 0.5 and 0.2 kilotonnes per year in 2006, respectively.
	This is consistent with global trends of emissions of CFCs following the ban in the developed world on production and consumption of CFCs under the Montreal Protocol since 1996, apart from exempt specialised uses agreed by the Parties.
	Estimates of UK CFC emissions by source are not available. The most significant source of emissions is likely to be from historic disposal to landfill sites of equipment containing CFCs.
	The main source from remaining specialised uses is likely to be from asthma inhalers that use CFCs. In 2006, 59 tonnes of new CFCs were allocated to the UK for production of asthma inhalers.
	DEFRA has established continuous observations of CFCs (and other trace gases) at the Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station on the Atlantic Ocean coastline of Ireland. The Met Office uses the observations to estimate the magnitude and spatial distribution of the European emissions. Detailed information on CFC emissions can be found in Manning et al (2003), Journal of Geophysical Research 108, 4405.

Common Agricultural Policy

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much in financial penalties was incurred by farmers in the UK for breaches under the Common Agricultural Policy in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

Barry Gardiner: This answer only relates to England.
	 Estimated value of penalties under the 2004 IACS Subsidy Schemes
	The current financial value of penalties applied under the 2004 Sheep Annual Premium Scheme is estimated at £387,356.
	The current financial value of penalties applied under the 2004 Bovine Subsidy Schemes is estimated at £1,896,572. These schemes include Beef Special Premium Scheme, Slaughter Premium Scheme (English Adult & Veal), Suckler Cow Premium Scheme and the Extensification Payment Scheme.
	The current financial value of penalties applied under the 2004 Arable Area Payments Scheme is estimated at £7,261,483.
	 Estimated value of penalties under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme
	The current financial value of penalties applied under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme is estimated at £10,917,787.
	 Estimated value of penalties under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme
	Figures are not yet available for 2006 payments.

Common Agricultural Policy

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs against how many holdings in the UK financial penalties were applied for breaches under the Common Agricultural Policy in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

Barry Gardiner: This answer only relates to England.
	 Number of producers/holdings penalised under the 2004 IACS subsidy schemes
	286 producers/holdings have been penalised to date under the 2004 Sheep Annual Premium Scheme.
	2,697 producers/holdings have been penalised to date under the 2004 Bovine Subsidy Schemes. These schemes include Beef Special Premium Scheme, Slaughter Premium Scheme (English Adult and Veal), Suckler Cow Premium Scheme and the Extensification Payment Scheme.
	9,755 producers/holdings have been penalised to date under the 2004 Arable Area Payments Scheme.
	 Number of Producers/Single (Business Identifier's (SBI) penalised under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme
	16,474 Producers/SBIs have been penalised to date under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme.
	 Number of Producers/SBIs penalised under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme
	Figures are not yet available for the 2006 Single Payments Scheme.

Departments: Email

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the policy is of  (a) his Department,  (b) non-departmental public bodies reporting to his Department and  (c) executive agencies reporting to his Department on the time after which emails sent to and from the Department and those bodies are deleted; whether such emails are still recoverable after that date from the system; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA's policy is that significant emails (i.e. those containing information about DEFRA decisions or actions which should form part of the official record) are printed for file or saved and stored corporately in accordance with departmental record management procedures that also apply to paper information. DEFRA's guidance on email management emphasises the importance of capturing all significant email messages but staff are encouraged to delete other emails, such as those relating to meeting arrangements and routine messages, as soon as possible. Deleted emails are recoverable for nine weeks after deletion.
	DEFRA's main Agencies/NDPBs follow broadly similar policies though the Environment Agency has implemented a system to delete any email which has not been saved after 180 days and the period during which backups are retained vary between organisations.

Departments: Non-departmental Public Bodies

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which non-departmental public bodies under his Department have changed their  (a) name and  (b) branding since 1997; what changes were made in each case; at what cost to the Exchequer in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: I am only able to report on changes which have been made since the formation of my Department in 2001. The non-departmental public bodies which have incurred expenditure through name change and re-branding over this period were Natural England and the Environment Agency and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
	Natural England was established in October 2006 when it took over the functions, staff and assets of English Nature; the landscape access and recreation division of the Countryside Agency; and part of the Rural Delivery Service. Natural England does not have information available about changes of name or branding within their legacy bodies prior to that time. The re-branding by Natural England has cost the Exchequer £385,000 for brand materials, website changes, new signs, stationery, publications and launch events.
	In 2004, the Environment Agency reviewed its approach to communications and its brand. The work involving research, development, testing and launch was carried out by a mix of in-house teams, brand consultants and a design firm. Costs up to the launch of the re-brand were £120,000. However, it was agreed that communications materials were only replaced when existing stocks became exhausted or when a contract was due for renewal. No additional money—other than for a short guide to the brand for Environment Agency staff—has been spent "launching the brand".
	During 2003 the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew introduced changes to its branding and public face at a one-off cost of £80,000; this exercise did not involve a change of name.
	None of the other non-departmental public bodies for which my Department has responsibility have undergone re-naming or re-branding.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what guidance his Department and its agencies have issued to local authorities advocating a move to alternate weekly collection schemes for the collection of household rubbish;
	(2)  what estimate  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have made of the cost to local authorities of providing (i) weekly and (ii) alternate weekly collections of household rubbish;
	(3)  what funding  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have provided to local authorities for alternate weekly collection schemes for the collection of household rubbish.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for each local authority (LA) to decide whether to implement alternate weekly collection, or any other waste management system. However, my Department has funded research and guidance to assist LAs in carrying out their operations in the most efficient and effective manner. This will ensure that such changes in collections do not impact negatively on residents.
	Guidance published by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) in 2005 sets out the process councils need to go through if they are considering the introduction of an alternate week collection service. The guidance is based on the experiences of LAs that have already implemented such schemes. WRAP is currently revising its guidance to take account of the latest research, including recent householder and LA experiences. Suitability of an alternate weekly collection service often depends on local geography and housing stock. The guidance also emphasises that a key part of any successful change is following full consultation with local residents.
	My Department has made some assumptions about the costs of alternate weekly collections in our modelling] for the review of England's Waste Strategy. Those assumptions were based on collection cost estimates from WRAP's Kerbside Analysis Tool model and five consultants as part of a preliminary benchmarking project run by Be-Environmental and let by WRAP. A more complete study will follow later this year.
	WRAP has not carried out a general assessment of cost savings associated with alternate weekly collection. The work that has been done has looked at particular LAs and how alternate weekly collection has been implemented in these cases. The general work that WRAP has been undertaking for Defra looks at different types of alternate weekly collection design and how this impacts on recycling performance and total quantities of household waste collected.
	Alternate weekly collection covers a number of important design decisions in relation to residual household waste, recycling and composting collections and only one component of this is whether or not to collect household residual waste on alternate weeks. There are many systems where only elements of recycling and composting alternate with one another and the refuse is still collected on a weekly basis.
	WRAP has carried out regular public! attitude surveys since 2004 that have included ratings of how convenient the public find different LA collection systems to use. Only a minority of alternate weekly collection systems received poor convenience ratings and these related to systems where insufficient capacity has been provided to householders in the week that alternated with refuse collection.

Endangered Species

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Ministers have represented the UK at each meeting of the  (a) International Whaling Commission and  (b) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in the last five years; and who the UK's ministerial representatives at the next meetings of these bodies will be.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 23 March 2007
	 : At the 2002 annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) the UK was represented at ministerial level by my right hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley). In 2003 no Government Minister attended. In 2004, 2005 and 2006 I attended.
	My right hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) also attended the 2002 and 2004 Conferences of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
	Minister for Biodiversity (Barry Gardiner) will be attending both this year's meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC59) and the 14th Conference of Parties to CITES (COP14).
	The UK is one of only three members to have regular ministerial level representation at IWC meetings, the others being Australia and New Zealand. Similarly, the UK is among a minority of parties that have regularly had ministerial representation at CITES COPs.

Fish: River Don

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps were taken to ensure that the River Don was stocked with fish appropriate to the local area in the restocking that took place in January and March 2007;
	(2)  what steps are being taken to ensure the recovery of the River Don fishery.

Ben Bradshaw: According to earliest available records (pre-1850), species such as grayling, roach, dace, chub, gudgeon, barbel, common bream, eel and perch are native to the River Don. We have utilised these records, together with the topography of the river, throughout our stocking programmes to stock species appropriate to the location. Fishery surveys were also undertaken after the recent pollution incident, land the data compared to that from previous surveys to help evaluate suitable species for stocking. Stocking needs for 2007-08 will be based upon future monitoring to ensure it meets the demands of the river following this incident.
	Stocking is a useful fisheries management tool for developing and recovering rivers, but only one part of the recovery process. The river will slowly recover naturally as fish from upstream and downstream re-distribute, but we are considering what the river needs to improve fish stocks now and protect against possible future storm sewage incidents. Fish passes, for example, may be installed, according to need, in order to allow stocks unaffected by the pollution to migrate upstream. A recovery plan for the river is being finalised.
	The Environment Agency has committed to work with angling clubs, British Waterways and Yorkshire Water to ensure the recovery and future protection of the river. Meetings have already taken place and discussions are ongoing.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households  (a) connected and  (b) not connected to the gas mains were helped to improve their energy efficiency by (i) Warmfront, (ii) the Energy Efficiency Commitment and (iii) other publicly funded schemes in each of the last 10 years.

Ian Pearson: The data is not available to establish precisely how many households have been helped by Warm Front and the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) that are not connected to the mains gas supply. However, since June 2005, 93,687 households that do not have gas as their main source of heating have been assisted with a range of energy efficiency and heating measures.
	In addition, 2,600 households received a gas supply funded by Warm Front that enabled them to benefit from the installation of either gas wall heaters or a gas fired central heating system.
	Since Warm Front's inception, in 2000, over 1.2 million households have received assistance from the scheme.
	During the first phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment (2002-05), suppliers installed a range of insulation, heating and lighting measures and appliances which helped an estimated 40 million households to improve their energy efficiency.

Palm Oil

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of biofuels used in the UK is made from palm oil; and what assessment he has made of the carbon dioxide emissions from palm oil production.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 Jan 2007, column 2112W.

Recycling: Standards

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards meeting his Department's Waste Strategy 2000 targets on recycling and recovery.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a devolved matter and, in Scotland, is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive. However, in England, good progress has been made towards the targets to improve rates of recycling and recovery set out in Waste Strategy 2000. The key targets were to recycle or compost at least 25 per cent. Of household waste by 2005 and to recover value from 40 per cent. of municipal waste by the same date.
	Figures for 2005-06 show that we exceeded the recycling and composting target, with 27 per cent. of household waste either recycled or composted in England. This is nearly four times the amount that was recycled or composted in 1997. In 2005-06, value was recovered from 37 per cent. of municipal waste.
	Following consultation on a review of the Waste Strategy, we intend to build on these improvements and are planning to publish our revised Waste Strategy for England in May.

Seals: Canada

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Canadian Government about seal hunting; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Canadian Government is fully aware of the UK Government's opposition to the seal hunt and we continue to raise our concerns with them at every appropriate opportunity. Most recently, on 28 March, my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade and Foreign Affairs (Ian McCartney), met a delegation from Canada to discuss the UK's announcement that we intend to press for an EU-wide extension of the existing import ban of all harp and hooded seals' skin products.

Veterinary Services: Rural Areas

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to improve 24 hour veterinary cover in rural areas.

Ben Bradshaw: The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) sets guidelines for the provision of 24 hour veterinary coverage in the UK. According to these guidelines, emergency cover requires that a veterinary surgeon deals promptly at any time with first-aid (and emergencies either directly or by alternative means (for example, by cooperation with other practices). The veterinary surgeon retains discretion to assess what constitutes an emergency need and may in some ceases delay seeing a case until the next day. There is no statutory requirement for veterinary surgeons to provide 24 cover.
	The RCVS has reconvened it's working party on 24 hour cover, to review the current guidelines and in particular, consider how these should be applied in more remote areas.
	DEFRA is not aware of any instances where 24 hour cover is declining or not currently being met in rural areas. The recent case reported to us in relation to general veterinary cover in the Scilly Isles has been resolved. We have been working closely through the Vets and Veterinary Services working group to address a number of issues, including the provision of 24 hour cover in rural and remote areas of the country. The group includes representatives from the British Veterinary Association (BVA), the RCVS and the National Farmers Union.
	We are continuing to work with the RCVS and the BVA to develop the necessary information base to assess whether there are any areas which may be at risk as a result of the changing agricultural base or changes in the rural/urban landscape. This year, we have included specific questions in DEFRA's Farm Practices Survey to assess the farmer experience of accessing veterinary services.
	Some rural practices are making greater efforts to co-ordinate their out of hours services in the same way that small animal practices have done for some time. The BVA has indicated a willingness to develop more information on improved business methods for rural practice, which will help many practices to improve the way they provide 24 hour cover.
	In relation to the welfare of animals, the Government stress the statutory requirement for keepers of livestock in rural and remote areas to provide appropriate husbandry for animals in their care. We are working, through our Farm Health Planning team, to support initiatives which will enable veterinary surgeons to provide more managed farm health planning and reduce the reliance on care only in emergency situations.
	In order to assure greater transparency and to enable a clearer plan of work in relation to Vets and Veterinary Services, DEFRA has agreed to relinquish chairmanship of this working group and we hope to be able to announce an independent chairman shortly.

Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to introduce legislation to amend the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 through Orders in Council.

Ben Bradshaw: Section 21 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA) provides power to make Orders in Council to give effect to any agreement between Ireland and the UK concerning veterinary surgeons. There are currently no plans to introduce any such Order.
	The VSA has previously been amended by Order in Council under section 2(2) European Communities Act 1972 (EGA). Such Orders in Council may be made for the purpose of implementing EC obligations. DEFRA plans to make such an Order shortly concerning the mutual recognition of professional qualifications as between EC member states.
	Other than the forthcoming mutual recognition Order, DEFRA does not intend to amend the VSA by Order in Council. My officials recently held a very constructive and helpful meeting with the President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to discuss proposals from the RCVS Council to modernise the Veterinary Surgeons Act. We are currently considering these proposals and will continue to work closely with the RCVS on this issue.

Waste Disposal: Schools

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate has been made of the amount of municipal waste produced by schools.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a devolved matter and, in Scotland, is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.
	At total of 28.7 million tonnes of municipal waste was generated in England in 2005-06. No reliable estimate is available of the proportion of this which was produced by schools.

Afghanistan: Schools

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many schools have been built by the  (a) Afghanistan government and  (b) international community since the London Compact of January 2006; and how many schools he expects to be built by the (i) Afghanistan government and (ii) international community in the next 12 months.

Hilary Benn: According to the Ministry of Education (MoE) of the Government of Afghanistan (GoA), since January 2006 a total of 1,011 schools have been built or are under construction. The MoE plans to build a further 1,700 schools in the next 12 months, although this figure will not be confirmed until after this year's budget has been approved. The building of these schools is partially financed by support to the GoA from the international community, although disaggregated figures are not currently available.
	The latest GoA monitoring report showing progress against the targets in the Afghanistan Compact states that a total of 5,10 school buildings are currently under construction by MoE and donors. Again, figures disaggregated by the GoA and the international community are not available.

Africa: Health Professions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to address the shortage of health workers in Africa.

Gareth Thomas: The UK Government recognises that health workers are essential to the delivery of essential health services and achievement of the health related MDGs. DFID therefore invests substantially in health, supporting African Governments to strengthen their health services. DFID uses a variety of mechanisms, including support to international agencies, direct support to Government budgets, working jointly with other donors or through projects. For example, in Malawi, where the shortage of health workers is particularly severe, we provide £100 million support for the health sector of which £55 million is earmarked for the Emergency Human Resources Programme. This programme focuses on improving recruitment and retention through salary increases for health workers, expanding training capacity—doubling the number of nurses and tripling the number of doctors in training—and using international volunteer physicians and nurse tutors while more Malawians are being trained. The programme also supports human resources planning and management capacity in Malawi's Ministry of Health. In Nigeria and Kenya, DFID provides technical assistance to develop human resources for health plans. A long-term £50 million health reform programme has been agreed in Sierra Leone which will strengthen recruitment, training and retention of key health workers.
	DFID engages regionally and globally on policy development and advocacy with key institutions such as WHO, the World Bank and African regional institutions such as the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). DFID has recently committed £1 million to support the formation of the Global Health Workforce Alliance which will play a key advocacy, policy and convening role on human resource for health issues.
	Health worker brain drain results from a mix of country push factors that motivate staff to leave, and pull factors that attract workers away. DFID works with the UK Department of Health to develop and implement policies that prevent the targeting of developing countries in the international recruitment of health care professionals including agreeing a list of countries, from which the NHS does not actively recruit. In addition, the Department of Health has brokered agreement for this Code to apply to major players in the UK independent healthcare sector.

Africa: HIV Infection

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to prevent mother-to-child transmission of AIDS in Africa.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is increasing its focus on preventing mother to child transmission of HIV. The UK funds prevention of mother to child transmission programmes in Africa through UNICEF and through budget support.
	In Zimbabwe, DFID is initiating a £25 million project designed to address maternal and newborn health in a comprehensive way including; diagnosing HIV in pregnant women, improved obstetric care, increasing access to drugs and other pre and postnatal health services, nutritional monitoring of mother and baby with treatment for mother, father and child if they have HIV.
	In Malawi, where DFID is the major donor in the health sector, with an investment of £100 million over the period 2004-10, a rapid scale up in prevention of mother to child transmission services is taking place with the aim that every pregnant woman visiting a health facility will have access to HIV prevention and treatment services. During 2005, 5,000 of 7,000 HIV positive pregnant women received a complete course of Anti Retro Viral prophylaxis. The aim is also that more HIV positive pregnant women offered help to prevent mother to child transmission are referred for care and support services—currently only one third of women are referred on. The Government, UN and other partners in Malawi are working to overcome the very real constraints associated with cultural beliefs and practices, weak health systems and structures, scarcity of health staff in the country, poverty and stigma.
	In addition to core funding to UNICEF, DFID has provided over $1.5 million to an 'Accelerating Action for Children Affected by HIV and AIDS' programme. This gives focus to the "4 P's—Protection, Prevention, Prevention of mother to child transmission and Paediatric AIDS". The three year programme aims to expand and accelerate action, increase the availability and quality of evidence, improve coherence between the UN and other partners and increase the prominence of children and AIDS across the UN system.

Cocoa: Imports

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will meet  (a) UK chocolate manufacturers and  (b) others in the cocoa industry to urge them to provide a Traffik Free Guarantee for the cocoa they (i) harvest, (ii) import and (iii) use; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no immediate plans to meet with chocolate manufacturers to discuss the use of child labour in the production of cocoa, but he met with Cadbury Schweppes at the end of last year and has met with Stop the Traffik. In addition, the UK Government have been engaging with the International Cocoa Initiative, which was set up by the chocolate manufacturers to address concerns about the use of the worst forms of child labour in cocoa production. The Initiative is focusing on surveying working practices in Ghana and Ivory Coast to identify what activities in the production of cocoa would fall into the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) definition of the worst forms of child labour, how widespread these activities are and how best to tackle them. In doing this the International Cocoa Initiative is working closely with the governments of Ghana and Ivory Coast. The Secretary of State discussed the work of the International Cocoa Initiative when he met representatives of Cadbury Schweppes on 2 October. A progress report on the Initiative's work was given to the chocolate manufacturers and other interested parties at a meeting of the Cocoa Task Force hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 22 February this year.
	The Secretary of State met with Stop the Traffik the campaign group behind the Traffik Free Guarantee, on 13 February where they discussed forced labour in cocoa production.

Departments: Advertising

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 69-70W, on Departments: advertising, if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract with the newspaper for  (a) sponsoring the supplement and  (b) the advertorials.

Gareth Thomas: For the supplement, 'Eliminating Poverty' a summary of the UK Government's 2006 White Paper on International Development, DFID, through the Central Office of Information (COI), commissioned a separate media buying company to negotiate with  The Guardian in order to obtain the best possible rates. There was no written contract between the media company and  The Guardian. DFID was billed for the work by COI.
	DFID is unable to place the contract for the G8 One Year On Observer supplement, advertorials, and Guardian Unlimited microsite in the Library, as this would be a breach of commercial confidentiality.

Developing Countries: Health Education

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sexual and reproductive health education programmes in post-conflict states;
	(2)  what support his Department provides to sexual and reproductive health education programmes in post-conflict states;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of sexual and reproductive health education programmes towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Gareth Thomas: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) especially those for reducing maternal and child deaths and HIV/AIDS will not be attained without progress in achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.
	This view was endorsed in 2006 when the UN Secretary General recommended a new target within the MDG monitoring framework of "universal access to reproductive health by 2015". An essential element in achieving this will be ensuring that women and men, including young people, have access to condoms, contraceptives, medicines and other products, and the services, information and education they need to protect their sexual and reproductive health.
	Conflict and post conflict states pose particular challenges if they are to meet the MDGs. DFID's recent White Paper "Making governance work for the poor" recognises that we must help people have security, incomes and public services. Effective states are central to development, so we must help countries—especially those at risk of falling even further behind the rest of the world—do better in ensuring security, achieving sustainable growth, and delivering health and education for all.
	To contribute to meeting the sexual and reproductive health needs of people in post-conflict states we have recently agreed a grant of £5 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for them to provide reproductive health supplies. This is in addition to our annual £20 million core grant to UNFPA.
	We also have a number of programmes we directly support in countries. For example, in Rwanda we have provided £250,000 to a project which aimed to increase public awareness and discussion of women's sexual and reproductive health issues and lead to positive changes in knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour. In Somalia, we have provided over £400,000 to a project which aims to provide free primary health care and increase the access and quality of services provided to women. Part of this programme provides reproductive health education and highlights the benefits of family planning and birth spacing for women and their children.
	The World Health Organisation (WHO) has collected evidence from developing countries on what works in preventing HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections in young people. But, I am not aware of specific assessments of the effectiveness of sexual and reproductive health education programmes in post-conflict states.
	However, many countries now recognise that education (especially female education) can play an important role in reducing poverty. The link between improved education and improved reproductive health and HIV prevention is also recognised and many developing countries have established or broadened reproductive health policies and programmes. However, over 200 million couples still have no access to effective contraception and 15 to 24-year-olds account for 50 per cent. of new HIV cases. In Africa, 90 per cent. of all HIV infections are sexually transmitted with women and young people disproportionately affected.
	DFID continues to give priority to supporting reproductive health and rights for women and to focus our bilateral programmes on strengthening of health systems to deliver effective information, services, and supplies. DFID is investing £1.85 million in a project evaluating the long-term impact of an adolescent sexual health intervention programme in Tanzania.

Developing Countries: Maternity Services

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent work has been undertaken by his Department to find ways of improving maternal health in countries suffering from  (a) high HIV/AIDS prevalence,  (b) military conflict,  (c) weak health systems and  (d) a combination of all three; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's strategy "Reducing Maternal Deaths: Evidence and Action" provides the basis for DFID support to improve maternal health at country level. DFID's approach to achieving sustained improvements in maternal health includes work to strengthen basic health services and to ensure that there is full integration between HIV and sexual and reproductive health services and programmes. In countries where there is high HIV prevalence, military conflict and/or weak health systems the challenges to improving maternal health are particularly great.
	DFID investments are designed to address the specific needs of a country. For example in Zimbabwe the UK is investing £25 million to improve maternal and newborn health through a programme that aims to ensure full integration of HIV and maternal health services. In Malawi, DFID is providing £55 million to support an Emergency Human Resource Programme to address the acute shortage of health workers, an issue which has been compounded by the AIDS epidemic. This effort directly impacts on the Malawian health service's ability to deliver essential maternity services. While in Nepal DFID's long-term support for maternal health has been adapted to ensure that it remains effective in the context of a changing political environment.

Developing Countries: Pesticides

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to reduce pesticide poisoning of those working in cotton fields in developing countries, with particular reference to child workers.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports a range of projects designed to reduce the risk of pesticide poisoning in the agricultural sector. For example, DFID has researched and promoted integrated pest management practices for cost-effective and sustainable control of cotton bollworm in small-scale cotton production systems in India and Uganda. These practices are currently being scaled up by the Indian Government after they resulted in both increased yields and a 52 per cent. reduction in pesticide use. DFID is a major supporter of development co-operation carried out by the European Commission. The Commission has provided around €30 million towards a 'Pesticide Initiative Programme', including projects supporting improved training for farmers in various African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. Furthermore, DFID works with both regulators and private standard setting organisations to ensure that good agricultural practice related to pesticide use is supported. These good practices include safe handling, application, storage and disposal of pesticides.
	Entering the labour force too early, significantly limits young people's opportunities over their life time. Limiting their physical and intellectual development and future choices and aspirations, it helps to trap families in poverty from one generation to the next. All children have the right to education and should not have to work to survive. The Government are committed to the elimination of child labour and is working towards long-lasting changes that tackle the underlying poverty that is at the root of this problem.

Developing Countries: Pesticides

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will promote measures to phase out the use of pesticides classified by the World Health Organisation as highly hazardous, with particular reference to  (a) aldicarb and  (b) endosulfan, in developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has supported a range of training, education and research projects to promote best practice in the use of pesticides in developing countries. Integrated pest management practices researched with the help of DFID have proven to be particularly useful pest control strategies that can significantly reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides. DFID has recently allocated £37.5 million over five years to help scale up some of the most promising research findings and promote their use in Africa and South Asia. DFID is a major supporter of development cooperation carried out by the European Commission and the Commission has provided around €30 million towards a Pesticide Initiative Programme' to improve training for farmers in various African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. There is evidence that small farmers have benefited from these projects through significant reductions in pesticide use and increased yield and income.
	DFID also promotes reduced use of hazardous chemicals and pesticides through trading standards and good agricultural practices. DFID has provided core funding for the Fairtrade Foundation which, amongst other things, works to ensure appropriate use of pesticides by 'Fairtrade' certified producers, DFID works with the private standard setting bodies such as the Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group Good Agricultural Practice (EurepGAP) to ensure their global standards are attainable and realistic in developing countries and finally, DFID supports the Standards and Trade Development Facility of the WTO to provide capacity building support to developing countries to meet international standards including those related to maximum residue levels for agricultural pesticides and chemicals.

European Development Fund

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 479W, on the European Development Fund (EDF), how many countries have been suspended from the European Development Fund or had measures imposed upon them aimed at remedying a breach of the fund's conditionality since establishment of the Fourth EDF.

Gareth Thomas: The 4(th) European Development Fund (EDF) was covered by the Lomé Convention which came into force in 1975. The legal basis which allows for the suspension of co-operation or the application of 'appropriate measures' did not come into force until 1995 (EDF 8).
	Since then, there have been 13 consultations under the relevant provisions of Lomé and Cotonou. The countries involved were:
	Togo, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Comoros) Cote d'Ivoire, Haiti, Fiji, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Central African Republic, Mauritania and Guinea-Conakry.
	Consultations have generally led to the identification of agreed steps and benchmarks to be achieved for the normalisation of relations. In some cases (Haiti, Guinea-Bissau, Central African Republic) full relations and co-operation have resumed. While no country has been fully suspended from the EDF, some remain subject to the measures referred to above (Guinea, Togo, and Zimbabwe).

India

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding and resources his Department provided to India in each of the last three financial years; what plans there are in respect of each of the next three financial years; how much was spent  (a) bilaterally and  (b) multilaterally; and through which multilateral bodies UK aid to India has been channelled.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's portfolio in India is comprised of programmes at the national level and in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. In addition, we provide funding to several multilateral institutions.
	Over the last three years, DFID spent the following amounts on the aforementioned portfolio:
	
		
			   Amount spent (£ million) 
			 2004-05 259 
			 2005-06 253 
			 2006-07 (1)242 
			 (1 )Estimated 
		
	
	We cannot yet state precise figures for the next three years because Her Majesty's Treasury's comprehensive spending review for DFID is underway and we have not yet received our forward aid framework. Current estimates for 2007-08 and 2008-09 are £266 million and £300 million respectively.
	DFID's entire programme in India is a bilateral aid programme. We work closely with the Government of India to make sure our poverty reduction work fits India's development needs.
	We fund some multilateral institutions in India as part of our bilateral portfolio. Our primary partners are the Asian Development Bank, the UN and the World Bank. Our trust fund arrangements with these institutions are as follows:
	
		
			  Institution  £ million  Period of funding 
			 Asian Development Bank 50 2002 to 2008 
			 (United Nations Development Programme) UNDP 7.5 2004 to 2008 
			 UNICEF Child Environment Fund 20 2004 to 2008 
			 UNICEF 75 2005 to 2012 
			 World Bank 20 2005 to 2008 
		
	
	In addition to its India programme, DFID also funds several multilateral institutions at the global level, many of which have programmes in India (eg the World Bank and WHO).

Serbia: Overseas Aid

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 287W, on Serbia: overseas, how much funding the Government provided to Serbia through international institutions in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) the total sum provided by each institution and  (b) the UK's percentage contribution.

Gareth Thomas: Estimates of multilateral funding provided to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) and the UK's imputed share and percentage share of this funding are provided in the following three tables. Table 1 contains estimates of funding provided by multilateral institutions to Serbia and Montenegro (including) Kosovo) for each calendar year 2000 to 2004. Table 2 contains estimates of the UK's imputed share of this funding and Table 3 contains estimates of the UK's percentage share of this funding on which Table 2 imputed figures are based. The following points should be borne in mind when interpreting the tables:
	(1) UK funding to multilateral institutions cannot be directly attributed to any country; the estimates below are imputed shares based on the UK's total funding for each multilateral and that multilateral's distribution of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo).
	(2) ODA is defined as flows administered with the promotion of economic development and welfare of developing countries as their main objective, that are concessional in character and convey a grant element of at least 25 per cent. Aid to countries on Part 1 of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) List of Aid Recipients is eligible to be recorded as ODA. Official Aid (OA) has the same concessional and qualitative features as ODA but covers aid to countries on Part 2 of the DAC List of Recipients. (Note: From 2005 Part 2 of the DAC List of Recipients will cease to exist and aid to countries on a new combined list of DAC List of Recipients of Official Development Assistance will be eligible to be recorded as ODA)
	(3) The list of multilateral organisations in the tables is not exhaustive; the multilateral listed are those that provide the DAC with detailed information about their distribution of funds to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) and to whom DFID provided funds over the period.
	(4) Negatives represent accounting adjustments, not a net flow to the UK; Zero figures are indicated with a dash.
	(5) The total UK share of multilateral ODA/OA to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) has been revised slightly from the figure given in the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 287W, as a result of revisions made by the DAC to the underlying data.
	(6) Figures for 2005 will be available following publication of the DFID Departmental Report in May.
	
		
			  Table 1: Multilateral ODA/OA to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) for 2000 to 2004 
			  £000 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 European Bank for Reconstruction and — 562 680 1.978 1,713 
			 Global Environment Facility — — — — 65 
			 Global Fund to Fight AIDS TB and Malaria — — — 625 720 
			 International Development Association — — — 58,300 92,758 
			 UN Development Programme 667 1.250 — 692 306 
			 UN Population Fund 46 1,083 1.340 606 — 
			 UN High Commissioner for Refugees 44,650 33.840 — — 12,202 
			 UN Children's Fund — 83 360 294 393 
			 UN Regular Programme of Technical 258 90 113 245 267 
			 World Food Programme 152 1,097 247 — 5 
			 European Commission 311.083 426,786 — 209,294 199.688 
			 Total 356.856 464,792 2.246 272.034 308.108 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Imputed UK Share of Multilateral ODA/OA to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) for 2000 to 2004 
			  £000 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development — 87 44 136 126 
			 Global Environment Facility — — — — 6 
			 Global Fund to Fight AIDS TB and Malaria — — — 32 47 
			 International Development Association — — — 12,889 4,029 
			 UN Development Programme 56 113 — 55 26 
			 UN Population Fund — 197 144 62 — 
			 UN High Commissioner for Refugees 524 1,135 — — 1,356 
			 UN Children's Fund — 6 18 16 21 
			 UN Regular Programme of Technical Assistance 26 6 8 19 19 
			 World Food Programme 3 — 5 — (1)0 
			 European Commission 61,159 79,766 — 37,924 34,985 
			 Total 161,768 81,311 209 51,133 40,617 
			 (1) In 2004, the UK share of the World Food Programme funds that went to Serbia and Montenegro was small and rounded to 0. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Imputed UK Percentage Share of Multilateral ODA/OA to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) for 2000 to 2004 
			  Percentage 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development — 15.5 6.5 6.9 7.4 
			 Global Environment Facility — — — — 9.7 
			 Global Fund to Fight AIDS TB and Malaria — — — 5.2 6.6 
			 International Development Association — — — 22.1 4.3 
			 UN Development Programme 8.4 9.0 — 7.9 8.4 
			 UN Population Fund — 18.2 10.7 10.2 — 
			 UN High Commissioner for Refugees 1.2 3.4 — — 11.1 
			 UN Children's Fund — 7.5 5.1 5.4 5.5 
			 UN Regular Programme of Technical Assistance 10.1 6.6 7.0 7.9 7.2 
			 World Food Programme 2.1 — 1.9 — -1.9 
			 European Commission 19.7 18.7 — 18.1 17.5

Zambia: Paediatrics

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of access to healthcare for children in Zambia; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID works with other bilateral and multilateral partners to support the Government of Zambia in making its own assessments of healthcare.
	These assessments show that:
	Immunisation coverage is increasing (defined as fully immunised by age 1) and has risen from 80 per cent. in 2004 to 87 per cent. in 2006.(1)
	The prevalence of underweight children is also declining. 17 per cent. of children were defined as underweight in 2004, but in 2006 this had fallen to 14 per ceny.(2)
	Infant mortality (deaths under the age of one) has seen a decline from 109 per 1,000 in 1996, to 95 per 1000 in 2002.(3)
	Child mortality (deaths under the age of five) has also seen a decline from 197 per 1000 in 1996, to 168 per 1000 in 2002.(4)
	Access to AIDS treatment (antiretroviral drugs) for children has also increased, with 7,500 children currently on treatment. This represents 10 per cent. of all those on AIDS treatment in Zambia today. The Zambian Government's goal is that 15 per cent. of all those on antiretroviral treatment should be children.(5)
	 Sources:
	(1) Zambia's Health Management Information System - Ministry of Health 2007.
	(2) Zambia's Health Management Information System - Ministry of Health 2007
	(3) Demographic and Health Survey 1996 and 2002
	(4) Demographic and Health Survey 1996 and 2002
	(5) UNAIDS 2007

Afghanistan

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1646W on Afghanistan, how many people died in the incident at Pangwayi.

Des Browne: The joint ISAF-ANA report on the incident in Panjwayi on 24-25 October 2006 estimated the number of civilians killed in the incident to be around 30. The loss of innocent lives is a tragedy and ISAF and coalition forces seek at all times to avoid civilian casualties.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel of HM Forces have  (a) lost their lives and  (b) been wounded as a result of land mines in Afghanistan since the beginning of operations in 2002.

Adam Ingram: Since the beginning of operations in Afghanistan, three UK fatalities have been confirmed as being caused by land-mines. Since March 2006, some information has been gathered regarding the number of personnel wounded by land-mines. It is estimated that since this date approximately 16 military personnel have been wounded as a result of land-mines; however, this figure may not be entirely reliable because some very minor injuries may not be reported, and because it is not always possible to ascertain whether an incident is caused by a land-mine or an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of land mines in Afghanistan; and what plans there are for their removal.

Adam Ingram: Unofficial estimates of the number of landmines in Afghanistan vary between 5-7m and the most recent landmine impact survey identified some 715 square kilometres of hazardous areas. There are numerous mine action programmes under way in Afghanistan with some 9,500 Afghans working for organisations coordinated by the UN Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the reliability of the Tristar fleet in making flights between the UK and Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: Operational reliability is assessed by the numbers of aircraft that are deemed as Fit For Purpose (FFP) against the planned average FFP figure. Aircraft are deemed Fit For Purpose if they are capable of undertaking the required task on a given day. Aircraft are not available for tasking if they are undergoing scheduled maintenance, modification programmes or any unforeseen rectification work that can arise .on a day to day basis. The figures do not reflect the fact that an aircraft assessed as not fit for purpose may be returned to the front line at very short notice to meet the operational need. The planned average FFP for the Tristar aircraft for 2006-07 is 4.8 aircraft per day. As at the end of February 2007 we have achieved a FFP figure of 4.62 aircraft per day for the same period, largely owing to the ongoing programme to fit defensive measures to the Tristar.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of Tristar flights  (a) to and  (b) from Afghanistan were delayed for (i) aircraft maintenance and (ii) other reasons in the last period for which figures are available.

Adam Ingram: For the period 1 December 2006 to 28 February 2007 the following percentage of flights have been delayed
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   UK to Afghanistan  Afghanistan to UK 
			 Aircraft maintenance 7 4 
			 Other 17 24 
		
	
	The other reasons for delays include adverse weather and air traffic delays. The percentage delayed for other reasons are higher for the return leg as this figure includes delay due to the knock-on effect of the late arrival of the inbound aircraft to theatre.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the UK deployment of Apache helicopters to Afghanistan has been affected by technical problems; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: While any aircraft will require routine maintenance during deployment, the Apache has not been affected by significant technical problems. Apaches on Operation HERRICK are receiving top priority for spare parts and maintenance, and are in fact delivering more flying hours than asked for. The Apache has successfully delivered on the tasks that it has undertaken, and reports from theatre have been very positive about this capability.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers from Welsh regiments are  (a) serving in and  (b) soon to leave for Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Currently there are no Welsh Regiments, or elements thereof, deployed in Afghanistan. At any given time, however, there will be a number of individual augmentees on operations, including those in Afghanistan. These may include a number from Welsh Regiments.
	In total some 170 soldiers from Welsh Regiments will be included in the next roulement to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Board of Inquiry into the loss of Hercules XV206 in Afghanistan to complete its investigation; when he plans to publish the findings; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1979W.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) 16,  (b) 17 and  (c) 18-year-olds have served in Afghanistan.

Derek Twigg: Data on the age of service personnel deployed on operations is not held centrally.
	Provisional estimates collated from manual records show that no 16 or 17-year-old personnel have been deployed to Afghanistan since the 'Optional Protocol to the Convention on the rights of the child on the involvement of children in armed conflict' was ratified on 24 June 2003.
	New administrative guidelines and procedures have been introduced by each of the Services following the ratification of the Optional Protocol to ensure that under eighteen year old personnel are not deployed to areas where hostilities are taking place unless there is a clear operational requirement for them to do so.
	Figures on those aged 18 cannot be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.

Aircraft Carriers: Procurement

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to commission new naval aircraft carriers; when he expects the carriers to be in service; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 October 2006,  Official Report, column 326W, to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski).

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1979W, on animal experiments, what the qualifications are of those who will decide whether to continue the experiments involving live goats.

Adam Ingram: The members of the team reviewing the need for further use of goats in this research programme are yet to be formally appointed. I shall write to the hon. Member to detail their qualifications as soon as the information is available.

Armed Forces: Children

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the document Provision of Childcare provided to HM armed forces recruits.

Derek Twigg: I have placed a copy of guidance entitled The Provision of Childcare in the Library. This is taken from the Army Recruiting Group Instructions Chapter 11, Section 1, Paragraphs 50-55 and is used by the Army Recruiting Group when questions on children and family matters are raised.
	Information on this issue is also provided to recruits. I have placed a copy of the RN guidance on child care for recruits taken from BR689, Section 4 Chapter 4 and a copy of the supplementary information provided by the Army to applicants who have dependants. The relevant RAF publication is undergoing review.

Armed Forces: Children

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance is issued to potential HM armed forces recruits with dependent children.

Derek Twigg: Candidates wishing to make an application for armed forces employment are required to complete the application form 'AFCO Form 4'. Before completing AFCO Form 4, all potential recruits are Required to read the application form information and guidance booklet, 'AFCO Form 5'. This form provides initial guidance to applicants with dependants:
	2.2 Dependants. The Armed Forces will require you to serve away from your home, at times for extended periods, and the Service you are applying for needs to be assured that your domestic arrangements will not prevent you from doing this. If you are married, and/or have children and/or family members dependant upon you then certain conditions apply. The Armed Forces Careers Adviser will provide you with the appropriate information. This includes Volunteer Reserve Service training and/or mobilisation for the Reserve Forces.
	During the selection interview, recruiting staff ensure that applicants are fully aware of their service obligations. Applicants with dependant responsibilities and/or those who ask questions on any concerns raised are then given further written guidance detailing their responsibilities with regard to child care arrangements. Once applicants have confirmed they understand their obligations and have demonstrated they have considered child care and would have sufficient cover during period of absence, the selection process is allowed to continue.

Armed Forces: Council Tax

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) the Department for Communities and Local Government and  (b) the Scottish Executive on the proposed exemption of members of the armed forces serving overseas from paying council tax; when these discussions took place; what assessment the Government have made of the cost of such a scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I met my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr. Woolas) on 13 March to discuss a number of options on how best to provide support for the council tax costs of service personnel deployed on operations; these options are being further explored. Officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Communities and Local Government have kept the devolved administrations informed of progress on this issue.

Armed Forces: Desertion

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what definition is used to determine whether British service personnel are absent without leave.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 29 March 2007
	An absentee is the term applied to a person subject to Military law who absents himself from the place at which his duty requires him to be, without leave to do so. Service personnel are found to be culpable of absence without leave if the absence was due to the deliberate intention of the accused to be absent or if it was caused by circumstances which were within his own control.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers were subject to a manning control review and were discharged at Manning Control Point in each of the last five years, broken down by regiment.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 27 November 2002,  Official Report, column 333W, and 3 March 2004,  Official Report, column 961W.
	There have been no discharges as a result of manning control point review since April 2002.

Armed Forces: Health Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which facilities are currently treating service personnel who have been injured in action and have subsequently returned to the UK; and what specialisms are provided for at those facilities.

Derek Twigg: Military personnel who sustain a serious physical injury on operations overseas are most commonly received initially at Selly Oak Hospital, part of the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT), which is a Centre of Excellence in the medical care of the types of injuries our people most often sustain. Here we are able to provide patients who need it with the advanced specialist clinical care required in the initial stages of their treatment.
	Patients with serious orthopaedic/trauma injuries may be housed on the military-managed ward at Selly Oak, where these injuries can be treated. But those with other injuries (such as burns or neurological trauma) may be housed on other specialist wards where they can receive the first-class care they require. This may be at Selly Oak, or if appropriate another NHS facility such as the Queen Elizabeth hospital.
	Patients who either do not require inpatient hospital treatment, or who require further rehabilitation care following initial treatment, may be referred to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court in Surrey. DMRC is the principal medical rehabilitation centre run by the armed forces and contains the Complex Rehabilitation and Amputee Unit (CRAU) and a Regional Rehabilitation Unit (RRU). DMRC provides both physiotherapy and group rehabilitation for complex musculo-skeletal injuries, plus neuro-rehabilitation for brain-injured patients. The CRAU, based within DMRC, provides high quality prosthetics and adaptations, manufactured on site and individually tailored as necessary for the specific patient. Priority is given to the provision of prosthetics to enable Service personnel to resume service duties.
	Personnel with less serious musculo-skeletal injuries may also be referred to one of MOD's 15 Regional Rehabilitation Units (RRU) in the UK plus Germany, which provide accessible, regionally-based assessment and treatment, including physiotherapy and group rehabilitation facilities. Each RRU has a Multidisciplinary Injury Assessment Clinic (MIAC) team comprising a doctor with specialist skills in sports medicine, a physiotherapist with enhanced skills and a remedial instructor (physical education instructor trained to deliver individual and group therapy), who together provide an assessment and diagnostic service. This team have rapid access to MRI scan or other imaging if required. They then determine the most appropriate rehabilitation plan for the patient, including rapid access to orthopaedic surgery when clinically indicated.
	Very occasionally the most seriously injured patients will require specialised care and treatment that can best be provided outside the NHS or MOD's own facilities. One example is neurological injury, where the best specialist treatment can often be provided by organisations such as the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability at Putney, which is a national centre of expertise in its particular field.
	We also provide treatment for psychological as well as physical injuries. Mental health services in the UK are delivered through a combination of community-based outpatient care and local inpatient treatment through the Priory Group of hospitals. MOD runs its own 15 Departments of Community Mental Health situated around the UK, with others based in Germany, Cyprus and Gibraltar. Their teams comprise psychiatrists, mental health nurses, clinical psychologists and mental health social workers. The full range of psychiatric and psychological treatments is available, including medication, psychological therapies and environmental adjustment where appropriate. The Defence Mental Health Services have particular expertise in psychological treatments for mental health problems in general, and psychological injury in particular, using such treatments as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).

Armed Forces: Health Services

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what process the support of military, government, charitable and civilian efforts to assist wounded servicemen and women is integrated.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 19 March 2007
	The key factor in the Government's duty of care towards the members of the armed forces is ensuring they receive high-quality medical care, both while deployed on operations and back in the UK. This can range from life-saving surgeryboth in our deployed field hospitals and NHS facilities in the UKto treatment of routine ailments on a daily basis.
	At a pan-government level the MOD works with the Department of Health and with other UK health departments to agree policy and improvements in communication.
	Most primary care of-military personnel is provided at unit level by members of the Defence Medical Services (DMS). For physical illness or injury, MOD has its own rehabilitation facilities, with secondary care in the form of hospital treatment in the UK provided by NHS hospital trusts. This is the most effective way of enabling military patients to benefit from the latest advances in medical treatment and the recent major investments in NHS facilities. Casualties from overseas are referred usually to the University Hospital Birmingham Foundation Trust (UHBFT), which leads the way in the UK for the acute care of patients with complex traumatic injuries of the types suffered by our personnel on operations.
	Care for the vast majority of service personnel with mental illness is provided at one of our 15 military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH) in the UK and equivalents overseas. This gives our patients access to high quality care, providing regional care within easy reach of unit, base or home. For those few that require inpatient mental health care a contract has been established with the Priory to provide high quality regional care. Close liaison takes place between the Priory and the DCMH. Furthermore the MOD has recently introduced the Reserves Mental Health Programme, which is improving the overall health care we offer to recently demobilised reservists. Information is available by visiting http://www.armv.mod.uk/rtmc/rmhp.htm or concerned individual reservists or their GPs can contact a free phone number.
	Wider support to injured personnel and their families is provided by a range of organisations, often at regimental and unit level. The main central provider of hospital welfare services is the Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS), which is contracted by the MOD to provide welfare support to service personnel and entitled civilians who are in hospital in the UK, Germany, Cyprus and on deployed operations. Patients are informed about other appropriate welfare agencies. These include the single service welfare services as well as service charities such as SSAFA, St. Dunstan's, Combat Stress, Royal British Legion, etc. and we are graceful for their support.
	The single services operate long-term sick policies and welfare procedures for patients discharged from hospital. Each of the single services tracks its own patients and coordinates welfare support, which includes drawing on the support provided by service charitable organisations such as SSAFA and individual regimental charities. Families are assigned a visiting officer who acts as the link between the family and the services, and will also direct the family to the most appropriate internal and external welfare agencies for specific areas of support.
	There is long-standing policy that the NHS, not MOD, provides care for ex-service personnel. However, the MOD funds courses of care at facilities run by the mental health charity 'Combat Stress', for those whose conditions are due to service and for whom this is an appropriate course. These procedures are under constant review to ensure that the support provided meets the needs of the recipients.
	The Department routinely meets the various organisations governmental and non-governmental organisations described above to ensure an integrated approach to care.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the adequacy of medical care for injured service personnel.

Derek Twigg: Injured Service personnel receive an overall excellent standard of medical care. Serious cases require access to a broad range of skills only available in a NHS specialist trauma centre. This is provided by University Hospital Birmingham Foundation Trust for casualties from overseas. Subsequently, the seriously injured are frequently referred to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court, offering world class rehabilitation care tailored to the specific needs of the patient. Patients with less serious musculoskeletal injuries are normally referred to one of our 15 regional rehabilitation units in the UK and overseas.
	Mental health services in the UK are delivered through a combination of military community-based out-patient cafe supporting local in-patient treatment through the Priory Group of hospitals. MOD runs its own 15 Departments of Community Mental Health situated in the UK and overseas. The full range of psychiatric and psychological treatments are available, and where necessary, in-patient facilities are provided by the Priority Group.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many accidents have been reported due to faulty Modern Housing Solutions property in the last 12 months, broken down by type of property.

Derek Twigg: During the last 12 months a total of 13 accidents and/or incidents involving occupants in properties maintained by Modern Housing Solutions have been reported. Of these two have a proven causal link to housing defects.

Armed Forces: MRSA

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many servicemen injured in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan have contracted (i) a viral infection and (ii) MRSA while receiving treatment for their injuries in UK (A) civilian and (B) military hospitals; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many servicemen injured serving in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan who contracted viral infections while receiving treatment for their injuries in UK civilian hospitals have subsequently had limbs amputated as a result of the infection; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answers 22 and 23 March 2007
	If an injury sustained in theatre warrants the immediate removal of a limb, the operation will be conducted under field conditions. Service personnel injured while on operation in Iraq or Afghanistan who require further medical treatment are usually aero-medically evacuated to Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham. Once evacuated to the UK, the patient will undergo detailed assessment by the hospital clinical team and further medical treatment, if required, will be carried out. We are aware of no cases of service personnel contracting an infection while in theatre, in transit, or as a military patient being treated in Birmingham that has subsequently led to a limb amputation.
	University Hospital Birmingham (UBB) has robust procedures in place to minimise the risk of infection and counter its affects in both its civilian and military patients. UHB does collect overall infection rates, and in total for all patients, it has had 93 MRSA bacteraemia reports across the Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak hospital sites from April 2006 to the end of February 2007. This equates to 0.09 per cent. of the around 100,000 (mostly civilian) in-patients and day cases treated in this time period and only 0.02 per cent. of the total 500,000 of all patients treated in this period. UHB's MRSA bacteraemia reports have reduced by 32 per cent. in the last two years.
	Neither the UHB nor the Ministry of Defence holds a separate database or a record of military patients who have reported MRSA or other viral infections. Therefore, the precise number of military patients diagnosed with MRSA or viral infections in NHS hospitals is not available centrally. This information could be obtained only by searching through individual medical records with that person's permission, and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Pay

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of pay errors the Army expects to encounter when the Joint Personnel Administration goes live.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 26 March 2007
	Data migration for Army personnel has been a challenge due to the sheer volume concerned and the age and diversity of the legacy systems involved. The current estimate is that the proportion of personnel who will experience a variance in basic pay in the first month of transition will be between 0.5 per cent. and 3 per cent. This incorporates Army and RAF reserves, as well as regular Army. For specialist pay the proportion is expected to be between 4 per cent. and 8 per cent. Work between now and the first live pay run in April is expected to result in the variances being at the lower end of the estimates range. In cases of mismatch of either basic pay or specialist pay the individuals affected will be notified by the Army in advance and where necessary local payments will be made to ensure hardship is not an issue. Action will be taken to inform the May pay run.

Armed Forces: Pay

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency plans his Department has put in place to deal with any errors made when the Army has its first pay run under the new joint personnel administration in April.

Derek Twigg: Contingency planning has included a number of dummy pay runs during April to check and confirm the status of pay accounts ahead of the first live Army pay run. A further supplementary pay run scheduled for the 27 April 2007 will be used to address any significant issues identified in the initial pay runs.
	An Army team is embedded within the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPYA) to assist with the resolution of issues and their communication. For those serving on operations a fast track process exists to escalate any urgent pay issues directly to the SPVA joint personnel administration operations room. A process is also in place to make emergency payments in cash at unit level if necessary.
	The SPVA has developed disaster recovery plans and business continuity plans to mitigate against the risk of a full system failure.

Armed Forces: Rules of Engagement

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is responsible for  (a) drawing up and  (b) agreeing rules of engagement under which British armed forces serve; and whether the rules of engagement are the same in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Des Browne: Responsibility for drawing up Rules of Engagement rests jointly with Ministry of Defence operational, policy and legal personnel. Individual rules of engagement are drawn up for each theatre of operation to ensure that they reflect the specific circumstances faced by UK troops in each theatre and the objectives they seek to achieve. Ministers approve all Rules of Engagement.

Armed Forces: Rules of Engagement

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether the rules of engagement have changed in respect of contact with Iranian forces following the recent abduction by Iran of 15 Royal Navy personnel;
	(2)  whether the rules of engagement in Iraq have been changed to permit artillery fire against indirect mortar and rocket fire.

Des Browne: In order to safe-guard the security of our armed forces on operations, it is Ministry of Defence policy not to comment on specific operational profiles or the rules therein.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what clothing contracts let by his Department have been  (a) awarded to overseas companies and  (b) sub-contracted from UK companies to overseas companies in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Information is available only number of clothing contracts let over the last four financial years. Records prior to this date are not held centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Since April 2003, 40 clothing contracts have been awarded directly to overseas companies at an estimated value of 12.8 million. During the same period 465 clothing contracts have been placed directly with UK companies at an estimated value of 192 million. It is not possible to provide the number of overseas clothing subcontracts placed by UK prime contractors as this information is not held by the MOD. At the time of contract placement, however, these companies indicated that approximately 91.5 million of the work would be undertaken offshore. Records of any subsequent subcontracting arrangements are not held.

Army Board: Members

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which occasions the  (a) Assistant Chief of the General Staff,  (b) Chief of the General Staff,  (c) Adjutant General and  (d) non-ministerial members of the Army Board have met hon. Members in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: Non ministerial members of the Army Board have met with hon. Members on the following occasions. Meetings with Defence Ministers are not included:
	 Chief of the General Staff:
	13 March 2006right hon. David Cameron MP
	25 May 2006Sir Patrick Cormack MP
	12 October 2006Armed forces parliamentary scheme lunch at the House of Commons.
	 Adjutant General:
	13 November 2006visit by armed forces parliamentary schemeMike Penning MP
	24 November 2006right hon. Sir Menzies Campbell MP and Mr. Nick Harvey MP
	 Director General Land Equipment:
	21 March 2006Robert Flello MP, Clare Curtis-Thomas MP and Christopher Fraser MP
	 General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland:
	11 May 2006Laurence Robertson MP
	12 June 2006Dr Liam Fox MP
	19 October 2006Mark Harper MP
	19-20 January 2007Robert Flello MP and Stephen O'Brien MP

Army Board: Official Cars

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) make and  (b) model is of each car provided to non-ministerial members of the Army Board.

Derek Twigg: Due to security considerations, I am withholding details of precisely which model of car is used by each non-ministerial member of the Army Board. However, the range of cars are:
	Audi S8
	Lexus 430
	Ford Mondeo
	Rover 75
	Toyota Avensis
	Jaguar XJ8
	Vauxhall Omega
	Vauxhall Vectra

Army: Discharges

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many discharges there were of  (a) Nepalese and  (b) other soldiers from the Army in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what monitoring has taken place of the type of housing obtained by those discharged; what additional funding has been given to appropriate local authorities to enable them to provide accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Outflow of Gurkha and other soldiers and officers from the UK regular Army in each of the last five years is shown in the table:
	
		
			   Gurkhas  UK regular forces 
			  Outflow date  Officer  Soldier  Total  Officer  Soldier  Total 
			 2001-02 10 220 240 1,090 13,290 14,380 
			 2002-03 20 270 280 980 13,580 14,560 
			 2003-04 20 280 300 950 13,640 14,600 
			 2004-05 10 250 260 1,100 13,970 15,070 
			 2005-06 10 260 280 1,070 13,120 14,190 
			 1 February 2007(1) 10 190 200 1,230 13,650 14,880 
			 (1) Date periods are for financial years except for 1 February 2007 which represents the 12 month period ending 31 January 2007. 
		
	
	The MOD does not monitor the type of housing obtained by UK regular soldiers and officers who are discharged from regular service and does not provide additional funding to local authorities to enable them to provide accommodation for discharged personnel.
	Prior to 2004, all Gurkha officers and soldiers were required to return to Nepal for discharge purposes as part of their conditions of service. From 2004 onwards, Gurkhas became entitled to benefit from the HM Forces Immigration Rule if they were discharged with at least four years' service on or after 1 July 1997. Once discharged in Nepal, ex-Gurkhas may apply for Indefinite Leave to Enter the UK and if granted, may settle and work here. However, this would be as private individuals, who the MOD does not monitor.
	The Joint Service Housing Advice Office provides housing information and advice to service personnel and their dependents seeking information about civilian housing. This is delivered through a series of one day briefings in the UK, Germany, Cyprus and Gibraltar, and via their website. In addition, a monthly magazine 'Housing Matters' is distributed to service units worldwide.

Army: Manpower

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answers of 20 March 2007,  Official Report, column 750W, on army manpower, what the  (a) ranks and  (b) regiments are of those members of the armed forces assigned to the households of members of the Army Board; what their (i) roles and (ii) professional skills are; how many non-armed forces staff are assigned to each of the households of members of the Army Board; and what their roles are.

Derek Twigg: For those members of the Army Board assigned household staff at a cost to the Ministry of Defence, the details are:
	
		
			  Rank  Regiment  Role  Skills 
			  CGS
			 Colour Sergeant Yorkshire Regiment House Manager Has attended the Mess Supervisor and Mess Steward courses 
			 Corporal Yorkshire Regiment House Orderly Has attended the Mess Supervisor and Mess Steward courses 
			 
			  GOC NI
			 Sergeant The Rifles House Sergeant No formal skill requirement 
			 Corporal Royal Logistic Corps Cook Chef Class 1 , City and Guilds 7061 in Catering and NVQ Level 3 in Catering 
			 Civilian(1)
			 
			  CinC LAND
			 Corporal (Lance Sergeant) Welsh Guards House Sergeant Mess Steward and Mess Supervisor; Category B and C driving 
			 Private (Guardsman) Welsh Guards House orderly and valet Mess Steward; Category B driving 
			 Civilian(2)
			 
			  Adjutant General
			 Sergeant Royal Artillery House Sergeant No formal skill required 
			 Civilian(3)
			 (1) Gardener and Cleaner (2) Full-time (40 hours) Gardener; Full-time (40 hrs) Cleaner; Part-time (20 hrs) Assistant Cleaner; Part-time (2 days per week) chef (3) 1 full-time domestic assistant; 1 gardener working 32 hours per week

Army: Personnel Management

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the roll out of joint personnel administration to the Army; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 19 March 2007
	Good progress has been made with the successful initial rollout of Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) to the Army being achieved as planned at the end of March. A number of essential post go-live consolidation and preparation activities are currently underway, to ready the system introduction of self-service users.
	As planned, roll out to self-service users will be phased and will be completed by 31 July. E-learning packages have been provided to self-service users and instructor led training has been given to unit administration staff. The first JPA pay run for the Army is scheduled for payment at the end of April. The Army is prepared for JPA and has put processes in place to ensure that a service individual or their family will not be placed in difficulty in the event of any teething problems with the large and complex transition to JPA.

Basra Air Base

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqi  (a) civilians,  (b) police and  (c) military personnel are expected to work in Basra Air Base.

Des Browne: Approximately 130 Iraqi military personnel are currently based at Basra Air Station. This figure will increase to around 200 personnel once the 10 Division headquarters moves from Basra Air Station in summer 2007 and the buildings have been converted to a Joint Leadership Academy. Some of those attending courses at the academy will be police personnel but it is not possible to estimate how many this will be at any one time.
	As at 20 March 2007, around 780 Iraqi civilians were working at Basra but this figure fluctuates significantly on a daily basis depending on a number of factors including contractor activity and requirement for construction work.

Departmental Offices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what area of office space his Department and its agencies used in central London in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: In 2004, the Ministry of Defence's office space in central London amounted to a total net internal area of 148,000m(2); of which 55,000m(2) was leased and 93,000m(2) owned. By 2006 the figures had reduced to a total of 99,000m(2); of which 16,000m(2) was leased and 83,000m(2) owned.
	During 2004, the Main Building redevelopment was completed and the building reoccupied, allowing the closure of a number of buildings used as decant accommodation and an overall reduction in the number of MOD office buildings in central London from seven to three. This reflects the progress the Department has made to reduce the size of the London estate, while maintaining the efficient and effective delivery of defence objectives.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will break down the financial year 2005-06 outturn for resources one, two and three provision for each subhead by  (a) near cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) non-cash DEL,  (c) capital DEL,  (d) near cash annual managed expenditure,  (e) non-cash annual managed expenditure,  (f) capital annual managed expenditure,  (g) near cash non-budget and  (h) non-cash non-budget.

Adam Ingram: The outturn for resource expenditure (Request for Resources 1, 2 and 3) for the 2005-06 financial year is analysed in the following table.
	
		
			  Ministry of Defencebreakdown of final resource outturn 2005-06 by DEL. AME and non budgetProvision of Defence Capability RfR1 
			  TLB  Estimate type  Final outturn (000) 
			 Commander-in-Chief Fleet DEL near cash 1,439,521 
			  DEL non cash 2,108,013 
			  Total DEL 3,547,534 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash 8,153 
			  Total AME 8,153 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash 37,948 
			  Total non Budget 37,948 
			 Total Commander-in-Chief Fleet  3,593,635 
			
			 General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland DEL near cash 424,954 
			  DEL non cash 154,554 
			  Total DEL 579,508 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash 0 
			  Non Budget non cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			 Total General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland  579,508 
			
			 Commander in Chief Land DEL near cash 4,217,704 
			  DEL non cash 1,414,240 
			  Total DEL 5,631,944 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash 0 
			  Non Budget non cash 1,618 
			  Total Non Budget 1,618 
			 Total Commander in Chief Land  5,633,562 
			
			 Air Officer Commanding In Chief RAF Strike Command DEL near cash 1,991,995 
			  DEL non cash 2,050,776 
			  Total DEL 4,042,771 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash 725 
			  Total Non Budget 725 
			 Total Air Officer Commanding In Chief RAF Strike Command  4,043,496 
			
			 Chief of Joint Operations DEL near cash 339,862 
			  DEL non cash 231,316 
			  Total DEL 571,178 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 7,244 
			  Total AME 7,244 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash 7 
			  Total Non Budget 7 
			 Total Chief of Joint Operations  578,429 
			
			 Chief of Defence Logistics DEL near cash 4,624,301 
			  DEL non cash 2,898,611 
			  Total DEL 7,522,912 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 3,614 
			  Total AME 3,614 
			  Non Budget near cash 4,818 
			  Non Budget non cash 208,689 
			  Total Non Budget 213,507 
			 Total Chief of Defence Logistics  7,740,033 
			
			 2nd Sea Lord/Commander In Chief Naval Home Command DEL near cash 681,363 
			  DEL non cash 96,346 
			  Total DEL 777,709 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash 26 
			  Total Non Budget 26 
			 Total 2nd Sea Lord/CinC Naval Home Command  777,735 
			
			 Adjutant General DEL near cash 1,587,615 
			  DEL non cash 349,866 
			  Total DEL 1,937,481 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash 9,811 
			  Non Budget non cash 1,332 
			  Total Non Budget 11,143 
			 Total Adjutant General  1,948,624 
			
			 Chief RAF Personnel and Training Command DEL near cash 784,812 
			  DEL non cash 118,764 
			  Total DEL 903,576 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash 1,607 
			  Non Budget non cash 1,946 
			  Total Non Budget 3,553 
			 Total Chief RAF Personnel and Training Command  907,129 
			
			 Central DEL near cash 2,164,892 
			  DEL non cash 319,629 
			  Total DEL 2,484,521 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash 3,916 
			  Total AME 3,916 
			  Non Budget near cash -4,979 
			  Non Budget non cash 5,415 
			  Total Non Budget 436 
			 Total Central  2,488,873 
			
			 Defence Procurement Agency DEL near cash 1,498,458 
			  DEL non cash 795,114 
			  Total DEL 2,293,572 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash -200,184 
			  Total AME -200,184 
			  Non Budget near cash 1,922 
			  Non Budget non cash 783,773 
			  Total Non Budget 785,695 
			 Total Defence Procurement Agency  2,879,083 
			
			 Science and Technology DEL near cash 505,429 
			  DEL non cash -3,824 
			  Total DEL 501,605 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			 Total Science and Technology  501,605 
			
			 Defence Estates DEL near cash 859,658 
			  DEL non cash 200,651 
			  Total DEL 1,060,309 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash 4,150 
			  Non Budget non cash 1,520 
			  Total Non Budget 5,670 
			 Total Defence Estates  1,065,979 
			
			 Conflict Prevention RfR2 DEL near cash 990,678 
			  DEL non cash 65,170 
			  Total DEL 1,055,848 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			 Total Conflict Prevention RfR2  1,055,848 
			
			 War Pensions and Benefits RfR3 DEL near cash 4 
			  DEL non cash 2,200 
			  Total DEL 2,204 
			  AME near cash 1,066,932 
			  AME non cash -541 
			  Total AME 1,066,391 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			 Total War Pensions and Benefits RfR3  1,068,595 
			
			 MOD Total  34,862,134 
		
	
	
		
			  Provision of Defence Capability RfR1 totals 
			  Estimate type  Final outturn (000) 
			 DEL near cash 21,120,564 
			 DEL non cash 10,734,056 
			 Total DEL 31,854,620 
			 AME near cash 0 
			 AME non cash -177,257 
			 Total AME -177,257 
			 Non Budget near cash 17,329 
			 Non Budget non cash 1,042,999 
			 Total Non Budget 1,060,328 
			 Total RFR1 32,737,691 
		
	
	The outturn for capital expenditure (Request for Resources 1 and 2) for the 2005-06 financial year is set out in tables 11 and 13 (pages 128 and 129) of the Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2005-06 (HC 1394), which is also available on our website:
	www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/Corporate Publications/AnnualReports/MODAnnualReports05061.

Diego Garcia: USA

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 604W, on Diego Garcia: USA, on how many occasions since  (a) the exchange of notes and  (b) the updated exchange of notes the UK has (i) been asked and (ii) given approval for operations carried out by the United States from Diego Garcia.

Des Browne: The notes allow the US to use the base as a forward operating location for aircraft and ships. Over the last 40 years many thousands of flights and ship movements have taken place, each of which are subject to UK authorisation. Records of such authorisations are not maintained centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Eurofighter

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether any of the Eurofighters being sold to Saudi Arabia under the agreement announced in August 2006 are already in production;
	(2)  when he expects to answer Question 106850, on Eurofighters, tabled by the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green on 28 November 2006.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 December 2006,  Official Report, column 84W.

Future of the United Kingdoms Nuclear Deterrent White Paper

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will list the public meetings on the White Paper The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994) which  (a) he and  (b) other Ministers in his Department have attended since 4 December 2006; and who organised each meeting;
	(2)  if he will list the invitations to debate the Defence White Paper on the Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994) which his Department has turned down since 4 December 2006; from which organisations each invitation was received; and what the reason for declining the invitation was in each case.

Des Browne: The following table sets out which public events MOD Ministers have attended on the future of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent since the 4 December 2006:
	
		
			  Date  Minister  Event 
			 22 January Secretary of State Progress (Think Tank) Debate 
			 24 January Minister (Defence Equipment and Support) House of Lords debate 
			 25 January Secretary of State Speech at King's College, London 
			 6 February Secretary of State Defence Select Committee evidence session 
			 28 February Secretary of State More 4 debate 
			 4 March Secretary of State St. Matthew's Church, Kilmarnock 
			 7 March Secretary of State RUSI debate 
			 12 March Minister (Defence Equipment and Support) BBC 10 O'clock news 
			 12 March Minister (Defence Equipment and Support) BBC Newsnight 
			 14 March Minister (Defence Equipment and Support) BBC Radio 4 World at One 
			 14 March Secretary of State House of Commons debate 
		
	
	The two parliamentary debates were organised by the Government. The remaining events were organised co-operatively between the Ministry of Defence and the respective hosts.
	Ministers from other departments have also discussed the future of the nuclear deterrent at both domestic and international public events. Ministers also took part in debates organised by the Labour Party but these are not listed as they were party political events.
	Since 4 December 2006, the only invitation I am aware of which was declined by MOD Ministers was received from the Oxford Research Group. The invitation was declined because it clashed with prior diary commitments.

Gurkhas

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) funds from his Department and  (b) Regimental funds are available for spouses of retired Gurkha soldiers resident in the UK to learn English; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The families of Gurkha soldiers benefit, whilst serving, from extensive welfare support services, including language and interpretation assistance where practicable, to help them integrate into UK society. Retired Gurkhas who have registered for the Enhanced Learning Credit (ELC) Scheme, in common with all discharged service personnel, may draw upon it for up to 10 years post discharge. The ELC scheme assists serving and retired soldiers to follow a course of study with an accredited provider, which leads to a National Qualification Framework (NQF) Level 3.

Harrier GR7

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which versions of the Harrier are operated by the Royal Air Force in Afghanistan; what the acquisition cost was of each aircraft; and what the average total operating cost is per hour of Harriers deployed in Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: There are currently six GR7 and two GR9 Harrier aircraft operating in Afghanistan.
	In the time available it has not been possible to trace the cost paid for these aircraft when first acquired. Their average historic cost is approximately 14 million. This was the value of the aircraft when first entered on the MOD's fixed asset register in financial year 1997-98.
	The total cost per funded flying hour across the Harrier fleet is approximately 37,000. This includes forward and depth servicing, fuel, the cost of one Flight Lieutenant pilot, training support costs and the cost of capital charge and depreciation.

International Security Assistance Force

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much financial support each NATO member supplied to the International Security Assistance Force in each year since 2001.

Des Browne: NATO policy is that the costs of deploying forces as part of a NATO-led operation, including the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, are met nationally. The UK does not have the details of what costs were met by the 26 NATO and 11 non-NATO nations that have deployed troops with ISAF since 2001.
	A relatively small proportion of operational costs are met from the NATO common fund, to which each NATO member contributes a percentage as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Belgium 2.88 
			 Bulgaria 0.34 
			 Canada 4.50 
			 Czech Republic 0.88 
			 Denmark 2.01 
			 Estonia 0.10 
			 France 12.86 
			 Germany 17.31 
			 Greece 1.05 
			 Hungary 0.65 
			 Iceland 0.047 
			 Italy 7.66 
			 Latvia 0.13 
			 Lithuania 0.20 
			 Luxembourg 0.15 
			 Netherland 3.44 
			 Norway 1.72 
			 Poland 2.44 
			 Portugal 0.55 
			 Romania 1.09 
			 Slovakia 0.44 
			 Slovenia 0.25 
			 Spain 3.90 
			 Turkey 1.50 
			 United Kingdom 12.13 
			 United States 22.54

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2007,  Official Report, column 963W, on urgent operational requirements, how many urgent statements of user requirement were  (a) raised,  (b) endorsed,  (c) not endorsed and  (d) progressed as an urgent operational requirement in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in each of the last four years; what records are kept of urgent statements of user requirement, and by whom; how many urgent statements of user requirement were (A) proposed and (B) raised and subsequently withdrawn in theatre of operations in each of the last four years; and whether withdrawn statements are recorded.

Adam Ingram: It is not possible to give a comprehensive number of the total urgent statements of user requirement (USURs) raised or rejected as this is not recorded centrally. Suggestions are regularly put forward by troops on the ground and progressed up the chain of command, some of which will be progressed as USURs, but many can be met with equipment already available so there is no requirement to progress further. Those which do not progress beyond initial discussions and staffing are not routinely recorded.
	It is rare that a USUR be rejected once it leaves theatre, as the level of staffing will normally have ironed out any issues before it is forwarded. There are occasions when staff at the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) will return a USUR for further work prior to its approval, but this does not amount to a rejection, as in most cases it will subsequently be accepted.
	Information on the number of USURs endorsed by the chain of command for Afghanistan is only held centrally from 2005-06. Information for both theatres for 2006-07 includes USURs endorsed up to 5 March 2007. The following table gives figures for the number of USURs endorsed by PJHQ, the last stage of approval in the chain of command prior to them being issued an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) number and becoming a UOR. The figures therefore equate to the number progressed as UORs.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of USURs endorsed by the chain of command for Iraq to nearest 10  Number of USURs endorsed by the chain of command for Afghanistan to nearest 10 
			 2003-04 50  
			 2004-05 80  
			 2005-06 80 90 
			 2006-07 to 2005 (March) 150 220 
		
	
	Requests by lower echelon commanders are staffed through the in-theatre chain of command, with both the unit and the brigade in theatre keeping relevant records.
	In the Land environment, if the requirement is for a new item of equipment or for more equipment, where insufficient stocks are held on the inventory for the current operations, the request is forwarded to the Divisional Equipment Capability (EC) Cell for further staffing. The Divisional EC Cell constructs an USUR in consultation with the originator to ensure that the exact requirement is captured and submits it to the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ). Records of the USURs are held in the EC Cells in the appropriate theatre.
	Royal Navy and Royal Air Force requirements are staffed up the appropriate chain of command, with USURs then submitted to PJHQ in a similar way. If PJHQ endorses the requirement, the USUR is passed to MOD Centre for action. Records of endorsed USURs are held in PJHQ and MOD Centre.
	As stated above it is not possible to give a figure for numbers of USURs proposed, or raised and subsequently withdrawn.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen injured whilst serving in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan who contracted MRSA whilst receiving treatment for their injuries in UK civilian hospitals have subsequently had limbs amputated as a result of the infection; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: If an injury sustained in theatre warrants the immediate removal of a limb, the operation will be conducted under field conditions. Service personnel injured while on operation in Iraq or Afghanistan who require further medical treatment are usually aero-medically evacuated to Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham. Once evacuated to the UK, the patient will undergo detailed assessment by the hospital clinical team and further medical treatment, if required, will be carried out. We are aware of no cases of service personnel contracting an infection while in theatre, in transit, or as a military patient being treated in Birmingham that has subsequently led to a limb amputation.
	University Hospital Birmingham (UBB) has robust procedures in place to minimise the risk of infection and counter its affects in both its civilian and military patients. UHB does collect overall infection rates, and in total for all patients, it has had 93 MRSA bacteraemia reports across the Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak hospital sites from April 2006 to the end of February 2007. This equates to 0.09 per cent. of the around 100,000 (mostly civilian) in-patients and day cases treated in this time period and only 0.02 per cent. of the total 500,000 of all patients treated in this period. UHB's MRSA bacteraemia reports have reduced by 32 per cent. in the last two years.
	Neither the UHB nor the Ministry of Defence holds a separate database or a record of military patients who have reported MRSA or other viral infections. Therefore, the precise number of military patients diagnosed with MRSA or viral infections in NHS hospitals is not available centrally. This information could be obtained only by searching through individual medical records with that person's permission, and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the extent of militia infiltration of the Iraqi police service; what assessment he has made of the risk this poses to UK troops on joint patrols; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The majority of Iraqi police are doing a very difficult job effectively and their capacity to maintain public order, investigate crimes and arrest suspects continues to grow. We and the Iraqis accept, however, that corruption and criminality in the police force remain a problem. Work continues with the Iraqi authorities to remove corrupt and inefficient officers and to ensure that such issues are addressed in the training that we provide, particularly on leadership. Ultimately, reform of policing must be Iraqi led.
	Coalition forces continually assess the risks to personnel, including when operating with the Iraqi Police Service.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units will be operating outside harmony guidelines as a result of the deployment to Iraq of Telic 10; and what the average tour gap number is for each unit.

Adam Ingram: Harmony guidelines allow Army units 24 months between six monthly operational tours. Details of those Army units that will be operating outside these guidelines, when deploying on TELIC 10, are as follows:
	
		
			  Unit  Tour interval 
			 2 Royal Welsh 19 Months 
			 1 Royal Horse Artillery 20 Months 
			 Kings Royal Hussars 19 Months 
		
	
	Royal Air Force units operate differently to those of the Army. The RAF reports against Harmony guidelines for formed unit tour intervals and against Individual Separated Service guidelines for personnel. For RAF formed units the Harmony guidelines state there should be 16 months between each four month operational tour. RAF personnel rotate through the unit rather than remain with it throughout, therefore unit and personnel tour intervals are not necessarily the same. The following table illustrates the RAF formed units that will be operating outside Harmony guidelines when deploying on TELIC 10:
	
		
			  Unit  Tour Interval 
			 4 RAF Force Protection Wing HQ 12 months 
			 1 Sqn RAF Field Regt 12 months 
			 2 RAF Force Protection Wing HQ 12 months 
			 34 Sqn RAF Field Regt 12 months

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether his Department plans to include in its estimates memorandum its planning assumptions for the cost of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan;
	(2)  whether the Government plans to include the provisions for all operations in the main estimates.

Adam Ingram: Provision for the costs of operations is not included in the main estimate 2007-08. Ministers have made clear to Parliament that the costs of operations are difficult to forecast in fast moving operational circumstances. The Department needs to ensure that the figures presented to Parliament are taut and realistic, and for this reason, the first request for resources for conflict prevention is made at supplementary estimates.
	The Department does not intend including any planning assumptions for the cost of operations in the estimates memorandum.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army  (a) received commendations and  (b) were decorated for their bravery in action in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: Details of the number of Territorial Army Personnel receiving Commendations and Decorations for bravery (Gallantry Awards) in Iraq and Afghanistan in each of the last five years are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Iraq 
			  Award/year  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Military Cross   1 1  
			 Mention in Dispatches   2 1 2 
			 Queens Commendation for Bravery   1   
			 Queens Gallantry Medal   1   
			 Total 0 0 5 2 2 
		
	
	
		
			 Afghanistan 
			  Award/year  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Military Cross  
			 Mention in Dispatches  
			 Queens Commendation for Bravery   2   
			 Queens Gallantry Medal  
			 Total 0 0 2 0 0

Iraq: Reconstruction

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the remit is of the provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: I have been asked to reply.
	The remit of Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq is to co-ordinate international support for provincial development including civil development and reconstruction assistance; development of the capacity of the Provincial Government; and to help develop the rule of law and infrastructure.

Iraq: Territorial Waters

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what helicopter support is available to support British Marines operating in Iraqi waters as part of operations conducted in pursuance of UN Security Council Resolution 1723.

Adam Ingram: It is not possible to provide the number of helicopters available to support British Marines operating in Iraqi waters as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces. There are sufficient numbers of helicopters in theatre, all of which may be deployed in their specific role in support of marine operations if necessary. British forces are also able to call on the support of coalition assets as part of Multi National Forces Iraq if required.

Lynx Helicopter

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what versions of the Lynx helicopter are operated in Iraq; what the acquisition cost was of each aircraft; and what the average total operating cost is per hour of the Lynx helicopters deployed in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: A number of Lynx Mk 7 aircraft are currently operated in Iraq.
	These aircraft were initially procured between 1979 and 1981 and have subsequently been extensively modified and enhanced. The Net Book Value on 12 December 2006 for each of these aircraft was about 4.7 million.
	The total operating cost per hour for Lynx Mk 7 is approximately 23,000. This cost includes both fixed and marginal costs incurred in using the aircraft, comprising servicing costs, fuel costs, crew capitation and training costs, support costs and charges for capital and depreciation.
	Additional costs are incurred as a result of the operational use and particular climatic conditions experienced in theatre. These costs cover additional wear and tear, additional spares and additional equipment and are paid for by the Conflict Prevention Fund. A total of 11 million has been claimed against the Conflict Prevention Fund in financial year 2006-07 for additional operating and capital costs for Lynx Mk7's operating in Iraq.

Navy: Deployment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1359W, on Navy: deployment, how much  (a) revenue and  (b) capital spending was made on the Royal Yacht in each of the last five years; and what spending is forecast for future years.

Adam Ingram: None. The former Royal Yacht was sold to The Former Royal Yacht Britannia Trust in April 1998. The trust has complete control and financial responsibility for display and upkeep.

Navy: Warships

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether there are plans to enlarge the capability of the Royal Navy's fleet of assault ships; and if he will make a statement on the future of the fleet;
	(2)  whether there are plans to enlarge the capability of the Royal Navy's fleet of Type 22 Frigates; and if he will make a statement on the future of the fleet;
	(3)  whether there are plans to enlarge the capability of the Royal Navy's fleet of Type 42 Destroyers; and if he will make a statement on the future of the fleet;
	(4)  whether there are plans to enlarge the capability of the UK's aircraft carrier fleet; and if he will make a statement on the future of the UK fleet.

Adam Ingram: We are improving the capability of the Fleet with the largest warship building programme this country has seen for many years. We have introduced new amphibious assault and support ships that are vastly more capable than the ships they replaced. We are bringing into service the Type 45 Destroyers, which are the most capable air-defence destroyers ever built for the Royal Navy. We plan to replace the present fleet of aircraft carriers with the future aircraft carriers, which will be the largest warships ever to see service with the Royal Navy. The Type 22 Frigates have many years of service ahead of them, and are planned to be replaced in due course by the new and more capable Future Surface Combatant.

Warships: Gulf

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the most recent decision was taken to deploy additional Royal Navy vessels to the Gulf.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 12 March 2007
	The Royal Navy is mandated to provide two frigates or destroyers and one auxiliary oil tanker to the Gulf and wider region.
	This requirement is kept under regular review, and force levels are adjusted as required. Additional RN units have been deployed to the Gulf and wider region at various stages over the last six months, as a result of these reviews. Currently these additional units consist of two mine countermeasure vessels, one landing ship logistics, one auxiliary fleet support (with two airborne surveillance and area control Sea Kings embarked) and three Merlin Helicopters based at Seeb, Oman.
	Additionally, the Royal Navy training team have been deployed since 2003, tasked with training Iraqi forces until further notice.

Alternative Energy

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date in January 2007 the payments ceiling for grant allocations for domestic renewable energy installations for that month was reached.

Margaret Hodge: The introduction of monthly allocations to the household stream has provided us with the opportunity to manage the flow of funds with the aim of providing grants for householders through to June 2008, by which time some of our wider measures to promote microgeneration should be taking hold.
	Since the cap was introduced in December 2006, householders have been ale to apply for a share of the 0.5 million pot that has been made available on a monthly basis. In January 2007, these funds were fully committed to successful household applicants on 12 January 2007.
	It is important to note that in the Budget 07, it was announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	Before deciding how to make best use of the extra funding, the household stream is to be suspended for the monthly allocation in April so that it can be re-shaped.

Animal Experiments: Cosmetics

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to extend the ban on the use of animal experimentation for the development of cosmetics to include the marketing of products produced abroad after animal experimentation.

Ian McCartney: The Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/2152) implement the 7th amendment to the EU Council directive on the safety of cosmetic products.
	Among other things the 7th amendment introduces a ban on the testing of finished cosmetic products and their ingredients by 2005.
	It also introduces a two stage marketing ban. Until 2009 the ban is operative only if an alternative to an animal test exists. From 2009 (with an exception until 2013 for three tests) the ban becomes fully operative irrespective of whether alternatives have been developed and irrespective of where in the world the product is manufactured.

Anti-dumping: EC Action

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many anti-dumping investigations the EU carried out in each year since 1977; and how many investigations are in progress.

Ian McCartney: According to the European Commission, on 31 January 2007, there were 82 anti-dumping investigations in progress comprising review investigations and new investigations. Details of all cases investigated by the European Commission each year since 1996 are available in annual reports made to the European Parliament. These may be accessed through the following link to the European Commission's website:
	http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/respectrules/anti_dumping/legis/index_en.htm
	In addition a list, updated weekly, of all eases investigated or under investigation since 1996 is available through the following web link:
	http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/respectrules/anti_dumping/stats.htm
	According to the Commission details of all cases investigated prior to 1996 can be found in a book entitled Anti-Dumping and Other Trade Protection Laws of the EC (fourth edition) published by Brussels law firm Van Bael and Bellis.

Energy: Bills

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average domestic  (a) gas and  (b) electricity bill in England was in each year from 1996-97 to 2006-07; and what estimate his Department has made for 2007-08.

Malcolm Wicks: The average domestic electricity(1) and gas bills for England and Wales are shown as follows and are published in Quarterly Energy Prices. The data presented is for standard credit customers in cash terms, it has not been adjusted for inflation.
	(1) The bills for standard electricity do not include customers that are on economy 7 tariffs.
	
		
			   
			   Electricity bill  Gas bill 
			 1996 295 330 
			 1997 283 328 
			 1998 266 315 
			 1999 260 304 
			 2000 253 295 
			 2001 246 293 
			 2002 244 310 
			 2003 245 320 
			 2004 251 333 
			 2005 281 386 
			 2006 335 474 
		
	
	Domestic gas and electricity price forecasts are not published by DTI. Provisional 2007 bills will be published on 27 September 2007.

Holiday Companies

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what representations he has received from consumer groups on the competition implications for the UK package holiday market of the proposed TUI-First Choice merger;
	(2)  what representations he has received from  (a) independent and  (b) non-vertically-integrated tour operators on the competition implications for the UK package holiday market of the proposed TUI-First Choice merger.

Ian McCartney: Ministers have received no representations on this matter. The regulatory control of mergers is a matter for the relevant independent competition authorities with cases considered on grounds of their impact on competition in the relevant market. Ministers have no role in this process although do retain certain powers to intervene in cases that raise narrowly defined public interest concerns.
	I would welcome any further information from the hon. Member which may be helpful to the regulators.

IT: Labour Market

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs in the IT industry have moved from the UK to other countries in the last 10 years; and what assessment he has made of the impact on the number of IT jobs in the UK in the future.

Margaret Hodge: The Department does not hold statistics on how many jobs in the IT sector have moved from the UK to other countries in the last 10 years.
	A report commissioned by the DTI from Ovum and published in June last year (available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file32496.pdf) predicted that the number of people employed by the software and IT services industry in the UK could fall by 6 per cent. (from 249,000 to 233,500) in the three years to the end of 2008 as a possible consequence of globalisation.
	However, in recent years the ICT sector has been one of the fastest growing UK employers and its prospects continue to look good. The UK is a leading software producer in Western Europe and, with a long-established reputation for excellence, attracts major multinationals from across the ICT and software sectors worldwide. The UK ICT sector has unique strengths including in the development of innovative software and its world-class capability in the management of complex programmes and in problem-solving and creative thinking.
	According to statistics published by the Office for National Statistics, gross value added (at current prices) of the UK Computer and related services sector increased from 7.7 billion to 35.6 billion between 1995 and 2005. It also continues to be an export success story, with exports of computer services increasing from 0.7 billion to 4.6 billion between 1995 and 2005, and the UK trade surplus in computer services rising from 0.4 billion to 2.9 billion over the same period (UK Balance of Payment, 2006 Edition).
	However, as markets become increasingly integrated with more international competition (and related opportunities), UK companies need to operate in a way that maximises their competitive advantage, For some, this has meant re-locating some operations to other countries, but the UK is also a major beneficiary of offshoring by overseas companieswe are the second largest global recipient of Foreign Direct Investment. This increasing movement of labour is the reality of a globalised economy and the Government's role in it is to create the conditions to ensure that the UK remains a competitive place to do business. This includes providing an environment which enables business to move up the value chain where it can.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry at what point in February 2007 the allocations ceiling for that month was reached for household installations under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Margaret Hodge: The introduction of monthly allocations to the household stream has provided us with the opportunity to manage the flow of funds with the aim of providing grants for householders through to June 2008, by which time some of our wider measures to promote microgeneration should be taking hold.
	Since the cap was introduced in December 2006, householders have been able to apply for a share of the 0.5 million pot that has been made available on a monthly basis. In February 2007, these funds were fully committed to successful household applicants on 1 February 2007.
	It is important to note that in the Budget 07, it was announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	Before deciding how to make best use of the extra funding, the household stream is to be suspended for the monthly allocation in April so that it can be re-shaped.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of monthly grant capping under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme on household demand for micro renewables.

Malcolm Wicks: The introduction of monthly allocations to the household stream has provided us with the opportunity to manage the flow of funds with the aim of providing grants for householders through to June 2008, by which time some of our wider measures to promote micro-generation should be taking hold.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many households received low carbon buildings programme grants under the new capping system in  (a) January 2007,  (b) February 2007 and  (c) March 2007; and if he will take steps to remove the monthly cap from April 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: The purpose of the cap was to ensure the resources did not run out before June 2008. The following table shows the number of households to receive Low Carbon Buildings Programme grants by month this year.
	
		
			   Number of households 
			 January 2007 264 
			 February 2007 188 
			 March 2007 189 
		
	
	In the Budget 2007, it was announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	Before deciding how to make best use of the extra funding, the household stream is to be suspended for the monthly allocation in April so that the scheme can be re-shaped.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many households received grants under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in each month since its launch; and how many and what value of such grants were given to  (a) solar photovoltaics,  (b) small hydro,  (c) wind turbines,  (d) solar thermal hot water,  (e) ground/water/air source heat pumps,  (f) bio-energy,  (g) renewable CHP,  (h) micro CHP and  (i) fuel cells.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 March 2007
	The information requested is as follows.
	
		
			  Month  Technology  Number of grants  Value of grants () 
			 May 2006 Solar PV 4 37,309.94 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind Turbines 6 24,000.00 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 76 30,000.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 14 16,800.00 
			  Bio-energy 7 10,500.00 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  107 118,609.94 
			 
			 June 2006 Solar PV 26 186,676.97 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 20 84,414.00 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 209 82,400.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 31 37,200.00 
			  Bio-energy 7 10,118.40 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  293 400,809.37 
			 
			 July 2006 Solar PV 58 448,526.56 
			  Small hydro 1 1,500.00 
			  Wind turbine 33 137,253.40 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 321 127,750.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 55 66,000.00 
			  Bio-energy 11 15,760.80 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  479 796,790.76 
			 
			 August 2006 Solar PV 52 342,058.41 
			  Small hydro 2 7,800.00 
			  Wind Turbine 19 85,449.50 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 282 112,766.60 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 38 45,443.10 
			  Bio-energy 16 23,834.28 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  409 617,351.89 
			 
			 September 2006 Solar PV 59 435,256.10 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind Turbine 30 127,240.40 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 214 85,590.10 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 24 28,800.00 
			  Bio-energy 13 16,466.00 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  340 693,352.60 
			 
			 October 2006 Solar PV 91 700,030.30 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 522 356,084.18 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 315 125,600.45 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 22 26,250.00 
			  Bio-energy 17 19,328.19 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  967 1,227,293.12 
			 
			 November 2006 Solar PV 80 608,877.77 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 551 427,735.00 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 298 119,160.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 36 43,200.00 
			  Bio-energy 21 28,412.96 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  986 1,227,385.73 
			 
			 December 2006 Solar PV 38 250,074.57 
			  Small hydro 1 5,000.00 
			  Wind turbine 149 151,765.79 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 102 40,800.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 17 20,400.00 
			  Bio-energy 17 22,853.41 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  324 490,893.77 
			 
			 January 2007 Solar PV 35 239,218.45 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 89 188,149.47 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 113 45,200.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 13 15,600.00 
			  Bio-energy 4 5,100.00 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  254 493,267.92 
			 
			 February 2007 Solar PV 43 343,557.83 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 38 63,586.39 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 89 35,600.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 10 11,843.10 
			  Bio-energy 7 10,112.40 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  187 464,699.72 
			 
			 March 2007 Solar PV 62 456,507.89 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 31 127,427.00 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 79 31,600.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 11 13,050.00 
			  Bio-energy 6 8,100.00 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  189 636,684.89

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding will be allocated to the Low Carbon Buildings programme domestic grants in  (a) April and  (b) May 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: In the Budget 2007, the Chancellor announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme through to June 2008, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	We are discussing in detail the restructuring of the scheme with industry to ensure we can make the best use of the additional funds. Taking into account the work required to re-shape the scheme, we have taken the necessary step to suspend the scheme for the monthly allocation in April, with a view to restarting the household stream of the programme in May 2007.

Postal Services

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will allow sub-post masters to offer Paypoint facilities with a view to increasing foot traffic.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There are no restrictions on sub-postmasters having a paypoint terminal on the retail side of their premises provided the terminal is not used for products and services offered on the Post Office side of the business.

Postal Services: Competition

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to lift restrictions on sub-post masters offering competing services.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have no role in determining the terms and restrictions applying to sub-postmasters through their contract with Post Office Ltd.

Radio Frequencies: Licensing

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what undertakings were made by the Government to bidders in the Third Generation mobile telecommunications licence auction on the refarming of 2G spectrum for 3G use.

Margaret Hodge: 'The Government made no undertakings to bidders in the 3 G auction on the refarming of 2G spectrum for 3G use. However, set out in para 3.4.1.3 of the Information Memorandum issued at the time by N. .Rothschild and Sons on behalf of the Government is an account of how the Government expected to approach the question of refarming in the light of decisions that were expected to be made in due course within the EU. This Information Memorandum is available at:
	http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/spectrumauctions/3gindex.htm
	and a copy is available in the Library of the House.

Renewable Energy: Finance

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry at what date in  (a) January and  (b) February the allocation for grants in each month for renewable energy installations was exhausted; and whether he is considering changes to the scheme to avoid the adverse consequences of such exhaustions of allocations.

Malcolm Wicks: The introduction of monthly allocations to the household stream has provided us with the opportunity to manage the flow of funds with the aim of providing grants for householders through to June 2008, by which time some of our wider measures to promote micro-generation should be taking hold.
	Since the cap was introduced in December 3006, householders have been able to apply for a share of the 0.5 million pot that has being made available on a monthly basis. In January 2007, these funds were fully committed to successful household applicants on 12 January 2007. In February 2007, these funds were fully committed to successful household applicants on 1 February 2007.
	It is important to note that in the Budget 2007, it was announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	Before deciding how to make best use of the extra funding, the household stream is to be suspended for the monthly allocation in April so that it can be re-shaped.

Severn Barrage

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration he has given to commissioning an appraisal of the possible benefits and environmental risks associated with the building of a Severn Barrage; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: A major study is currently under way that will help us to better understand how to make best use of the potential tidal resource in UK waters. The study is led by the Sustainable Development Commission working together with the DTI, the Welsh Assembly Government, the South West Regional Development Agency and other key interested parties.
	The study is looking at the issues arising on the tidal resource, including consideration of the potential of the Severn Estuary. A final report by the Sustainable Development Commission will consider the various aspects of a Servern barrage from a Sustainable development perspective and is expected by early summer.
	Further information can be found at:
	www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/tidal.html

Tour Operators: Competition

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will discuss the implications of the Thomas Cook-My Travel merger for competition in the UK package holiday market with the European Commissioner Health and Consumer Protection; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Investigation into the effects on competition in any merger is the responsibility of the independent competition authorities. Government Ministers have no role in this process and there are no plans to hold any discussions with the European Commission in relation to this proposed merger.
	I would welcome any further information from the hon. Member which may be helpful to the regulators.

Tour Operators: Mergers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will discuss the implications of the competition issues arising from the TUI-First Choice merger in the UK package holiday market with the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 28 March 2007
	Ministers have no plans to discuss this matter with representatives of the European Commission. The regulatory control of mergers is a matter for the relevant independent competition authorities with cases considered on grounds of their impact on competition in the relevant market. Ministers have no role in this process although do retain certain powers to intervene in cases that raise narrowly defined public interest concerns.
	I would welcome any further information from the hon. Member which may be helpful to the regulators.

Tour Operators: Mergers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will hold discussions with  (a) the Office of Fair Trading and  (b) the Competition Commissioner on the state of the UK market in foreign package holidays.

Ian McCartney: Ministers have no plans to discuss this matter either with the Office of Fair Trading or with representatives of the European Commission. The regulatory control of mergers is a matter for the relevant independent competition authorities with cases considered on grounds of their impact on competition in the relevant market. Ministers have no role in this process although do retain certain powers to intervene in cases that raise narrowly defined public interest concerns.
	I would welcome any further information from the hon. Member which may be helpful to the regulators.

Autism

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety spent in service provision for children with autism in each health and social services board area in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The proportion of the overall baseline which is spent by the Health and Social Services Boards for the provision of services for children with autism is not separately identified.
	In addition to the provision of mainstream funding for Children's Services, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety allocated an additional 0.5 million recurrent funding in 2004-05 to improve the life outcome for 200 children and young people with Autism. In September 2006, a further 0.5 million recurrent funding was made available to provide early intervention services for 300 children with autistic spectrum disorders.
	An element of the funding which is provided within HPSS baselines for adolescent psychiatry (2.4 million in 2004-05) is also spent on services to support children with autism. The multi-disciplinary support teams established through the Children and Young People's Funding Package, March 2006, is also working alongside existing services in schools helping to provide diagnosis and interventions for children with autism.

Autism

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how much the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety has earmarked for service provision for children with autism for each of the next three years;
	(2)  whether he plans to increase the resources available for service provision for children with autism.

Paul Goggins: Budget decisions for the next three years 2008-09 to 2010-11, will be agreed as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007. Final decisions on future years' budgets will not therefore be made until December 2007 at the earliest.

Belfast-Bangor County Down Railway Line

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what investigation has been carried out by his Department to ascertain why the former Head of Infrastructure at Translink removed and destroyed the bulk of documentation relating to the upgrade of the Belfast to Bangor railway line when he left the company in March 2002.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Lady to paragraphs 3.13-3.16 of the NIAO report which covers the actions taken by the Department. A copy of the report is available in the House of Commons Library or can be accessed via the Northern Ireland Audit Office website at
	www.niauditoffice.gov.uk/index.asp.

Belfast-Bangor County Down Railway Line

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to introduce a central document registry within Translink following the recommendations of the Northern Ireland Audit Office report on the upgrade of the Belfast to Bangor railway line.

David Cairns: The Board of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company has purchased proprietary software to assist in file management: and is working to progress the Audit Office's recommendation on records management.

Belfast-Bangor County Down Railway Line

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Northern Ireland Audit Office report on the upgrade of the Belfast to Bangor railway line; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: I welcome this Audit Office report and its recommendations regarding 'The Upgrade of the Belfast to Bangor Railway Line'.
	Significant lessons have been learned and applied as a result of this project, and work is underway to ensure the full implementation of the Audit Office's recommendations.
	The Northern Ireland Audit Office Report was scheduled to be considered by the Public Accounts Committee at Westminster on 28 March. The Committee decided to cancel the session but has commended it to the Stormont PAC as an urgent issue for their consideration, when devolution returns.

Community Service

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many offenders were enrolled in community service programmes in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years; how many offenders breached their community service orders over the same period; and what the consequence was of the breach in each case in which no legal proceedings are active.

David Hanson: The Probation Board for Northern Ireland supervises Community Service Orders and Combination Orders, both of which require a number of hours of unpaid work to be completed by the offender.
	The following table specifies the number of Community Service and Combination Orders made in the past six years.
	
		
			  Number of community service and combination orders made (2000-01 to 2005-06) 
			  Orders Made  Community Service Orders  Combination Orders( 1) 
			 2000-01 708 100 
			 2001-02 679 95 
			 2002-03 728 119 
			 2003-04 765 174 
			 2004-05 769 159 
			 2005-06 652 212 
		
	
	When an offender does not comply with the conditions outlined in a community based sanction, they may be returned to court for breach.
	The following table specifies the number of breach proceedings initiated against individuals subject to Community Service and Combination Orders.
	
		
			  Number of breaches initiated for Community Service and Combination Orders (2000-01 to 2005-06) 
			  Breaches  Community Service Orders  Combination Orders( 1) 
			 2000-01 301 49 
			 2001-02 238 41 
			 2002-03 211 0 
			 2003-04 153 47 
			 2004-05 178 46 
			 2005-06 132 36 
			 (1) A Combination Order is a sentence that combines a Probation Order and a Community Service Order. 
		
	
	Probation Board has implemented an electronic case management system to record details of those subject to community supervision. This database has been operational across PBNI from June 2006. Prior to June 2006, Probation Board did not centrally collate the outcome of breach proceedings.

Complementary Medicine

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which organisations and individuals are involved in developing the pilot scheme on complementary and alternative therapies in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: My Department has convened a steering group which will bring together a number of key stakeholders whose role will be to guide and monitor the successful implementation of the pilot scheme. The group's first meeting will be in April. Get Well UK, the organisation administering the pilot on behalf of the DHSSPS, will report to the steering group on a regular basis.
	In addition to staff from the DHSSPS, the steering group will have representatives from:
	Health and Social Services Boards;
	Health and Social Services Council;
	The General Osteopathic Council;
	British Acupuncture Council;
	British Chiropractic Association;
	Northern Ireland Association of Homeopaths;
	Federation of Holistic Therapists/Aromatherapy Council;
	General Practitioner Committee (BMA NI)
	The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health.

Complementary Medicine

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to extend the pilot scheme in which patients can receive complementary and alternative therapies across Northern Ireland; and what assessment he has made of the take-up of complementary and alternative therapies in the areas where the scheme is being piloted.

Paul Goggins: A full independent evaluation of the pilot scheme will be carried out and will help inform any future decisions about the availability of complimentary and alternative therapies in Northern Ireland.
	Although the pilot is still at a very early stage, I have been encouraged by the progress made so far. The first patient was seen on 6 March and since then the pilot has received 101 patient referrals from GPs; 56 from the Belfast pilot and 45 from Londonderry. A total of 79 referrals have been for patients suffering from musculoskeletal problems and 22 with mental health problems.

Creative Youth Partnerships Programme

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children took part in the Creative Youth Partnerships programme; what plans are in place to resource the programme in the future; and if he will make a statement on the performance of the programme against the objectives his Department has set for it.

Maria Eagle: From April 2004 to September 2006, 38,813 children and young people participated in Creative Youth Partnership programmes.
	The three-year pilot scheme was due to conclude at the end of March 2007, but funding has been secured to extend the pilot for a further year at existing levels of activity.
	DCAL will be bidding for funding for Creative Youth Partnerships in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review and the future of the programme will be dependent on the outcome of this.
	The programme has been evaluated by the Education and Training Inspectorate and the report on this will be published shortly. Early indications are that good progress has been made in meeting the overall objectives of the Creative Youth Partnerships initiative and that the Inspectorate recommends the continuation of the programme, as it enhances and supports the education of children and young people.

Departments: Advertising

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on  (a) sponsoring newspaper or publication supplements and  (b) funding advertorials in newspapers or publications, in the last year for which figures are available; and what the topic was of each.

Peter Hain: The Northern Ireland Office has only sponsored one newspaper supplement in 2006-07; this was the Organised Crime Task Force Annual Report Summary Leaflet the cost of which was 21,992.57. The Northern Ireland Office has not funded any advertorials in this period.

Departments: Consultants

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which external consultants were used by each Northern Ireland Government Department and their associated agencies in each of the past six years; and what the  (a) hourly rate and  (b) overall cost was in each case.

David Hanson: The information requested is not held centrally in the format requested. However, I would refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady) on 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 555W, which contains information on the overall expenditure on consultants by each Northern Ireland Department over the last five years.
	I have also placed in the Library a list of the recipients of consultancy fees paid by each of the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration and the Northern Ireland Office (excluding Agencies and non-departmental public bodies) in respect of the years 2002-03 to 2004-05.

Desmond Clayton

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what reason the Northern Ireland Police Fund gave to his Department for their request to approve a severance payment for Mr. Desmond Clayton.

Paul Goggins: After careful consideration and legal advice the NIO concluded that the impact on the working relationships between the chief executive, the fund's directors and the clients was such that the work of the fund was likely to have been adversely affected by his continued employment.

Diabetes

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to develop a diabetes services framework for the Province.

Paul Goggins: A framework for the development of services for people with diabetes, produced by a joint CREST/Diabetes UK Taskforce, was published in June 2003. The framework contained a wide range of recommendations and each of the four Health and Social Services Boards have local implementation groups in place to take forward the detailed planning and implementation of the framework. The Department has also established a Regional Diabetes Steering Group with representation from the four boards and Diabetes UK to oversee and monitor progress.

Doctors: Pay

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average annual earnings are of a full-time  (a) general practitioner and  (b) consultant psychiatrist in the Province.

Paul Goggins: Following the introduction of the new UK wide General Medical Services (GMS) contract with effect from 1 April 2004, the contract for the provision of General Medical Services is between the relevant Health and Social Services Board and a GMS practice rather than individual GPs. Under the contract, each GMS practice receives payment for services and can generate income through a number of streams, some of which are core and some in which participation is a matter of choice for the practice concerned. It is a matter for each GMS practice to determine how its services are organised and how the funding it receives is allocated between GP remuneration and practice expenses, including the employment of staff and other overheads.
	Information is collected across the four countries on health service funding to GP practices and on the expenses to earnings split, based on audited accounts. The final information for the first year of the contract, (2004-05) has not yet been agreed at a UK level nor has it been disaggregated on a country by country basis) Consequently, an accurate assessment of GP earnings in NI under the new contract is not yet available
	The average annual earnings in Northern Ireland of a consultant psychiatrist is 100,300.

Doctors: Training

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to improve work-life balance of senior house officers seeking training posts.

Paul Goggins: The Department's Improving Junior Doctors Working Lives Implementation Support Group (ISO) continues to work to ensure compliance with the European working time directive and new deal. The Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA) also fully supports less than full-time training.

Doctors: Training

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of junior doctors in the Province who will be unable to obtain training posts in August 2007.

Paul Goggins: The Department of Health has instigated a review of the recruitment and selection to specialist training. Until the findings of this review have been implemented, the number of junior doctors unable to obtain training posts in the province cannot be determined.

Doctors: Training

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to assist experienced senior house officers in the Province in obtaining specialist training.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NMDTA) organised four workshops for experienced SHO's to advise them on the new recruitment process.

Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the timetable is for  (a) local authorities to finalise their district rate for 2007-08,  (b) finalising the level of the regional rate for 2007-08 and  (c) the posting of domestic rates bills to local authorities; and from which day in April 2007 the new domestic rates bills are liable.

David Hanson: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The table of district rates for 2007-08 was published on the 16 February 2007;
	(b) The Rates (Regional Rates) Order (Northern Ireland) 2007 was made on 29 January 2007;
	(c) Rate bills are not posted to local authorities; and
	(d) Rate liability for domestic property is effective from the 1 April of each year.

Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the capital value of a domestic property which is part of another property and has a dependent relative living in it is added to the capital value of the main domestic property when valuing the domestic property for domestic rates under the new discrete capital values system.

David Hanson: Each separate property has a capital value assessment in the Valuation List irrespective of occupier.

Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what co-efficient value was given to the property attribute for adjoining golf course in each of the 25 market areas in the Valuation and Lands Agency calibrated multiple regression formula used in domestic rates revaluation in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: Belfast is the only market area which has a co-efficient allocated to the property attribute for adjoining a golf course and the value of this co-efficient is 0.083.

Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what fine may be imposed on residents who do not fill in a questionnaire sent by the Valuation and Lands Agency asking for information on the property attributes of their residence.

David Hanson: The Valuation and Lands Agency have not sent, and are not contemplating sending a questionnaire to residents asking for information on the property attributes of their residence.

Educational Psychology

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time a child will wait to see an educational psychologist is in each health and social services board area in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: The chief executive officers of the education and library boards state that this information is only available in relation to their own areas and not in relation to health and social services board areas.
	I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Strangford (Mrs. Robinson) on 23 February 2007,  Official Report, column 983W.

Fly-tipping

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what co-operation there has been with the Irish Government on tackling the problem of cross-border illegal dumping.

David Cairns: Bilateral meetings have been held at ministerial level to discuss matters of mutual interest and the illegal movement of waste has been identified as a key area of concern.
	Officials from DOE are working closely with counterparts in the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DOEHLG) to finalise a structured plan to deal with existing illegal waste dumped in Northern Ireland originating from Ireland and to prevent possible future illegal waste movements. The plan envisages co-operative operations involving enforcement authorities and, where appropriate, repatriation of waste from Ireland illegally dumped in Northern Ireland.
	Officers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have attended Northern Ireland operations in which waste from Ireland has been identified. Officers from DOE have also been witnesses in EPA prosecution cases heard in Irish courts.
	In January 2007, EHS, in conjunction with counterparts from the EPA, supervised the return of illegally deposited waste to Ireland from an illegal landfill in Co. Armagh, where an estimated 150 tonnes of commercial/household waste had been deposited.

Fly-tipping

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many reports of fly-tipping were received by the Environment and Heritage Service in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

David Cairns: The Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) holds details of alleged illegal or unauthorised waste activities. It does not have figures for fly-tipping, which, although not legally defined, has in the past been used to describe largely domestic, low quantity incidents. Such small-scale cases are generally dealt with by district councils.
	EHS is currently implementing the Flycapture software used by the Environment Agency, in order to facilitate a consistent approach to the impact of fly-tipping across the UK and is liaising with councils to encourage their use of the system. Flycapture records all incidents of illegal dumping, from a single black bin liner up to sites with thousands of tonnes of waste. This will allow the problem to be quantified, and enforcement, clean-up activities and budgets to be directed to areas of greatest need.
	EHS received the following number of incidents alleging illegal or unauthorised activities relating to controlled waste.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004 1,256 
			 2005 1,339 
			 2006 1,436

Health and Social Services Authority

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the merits of separating the Health and Social Services Authority functions from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Paul Goggins: Under the proposed new arrangements, the Department will retain the statutory responsibility for securing the delivery of the services necessary to promote the health and wellbeing of the population. The role of the authority will be to implement the Government's policies for health and social services, to manage performance of the system and to commission services to meet the demands of patients. These roles are not appropriate to a central Government Department. The new, much smaller DHSSPS will be able to focus on assisting the Minister with policy, legislation and strategic planning and resource allocation. This separation of roles within the new organisational arrangements will lead to clearer accountability, improved efficiency and better outcomes from more responsive, person-centred services.

Hearing Aids

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) target and  (b) actual average waiting time is for people requiring a new digital hearing aid from the point of referral from GP to final fitting of the hearing aid in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Audiology is one of the areas subject to the new diagnostic targets set out in Priorities for Action 2007-08, which states that no patient should have to wait longer than 13 weeks for a diagnostic test. Therefore, the target for people requiring a new digital hearing aid from the point of referral from GP to final fitting of the hearing aid will be 13 weeks in Northern Ireland.
	Information on the average waiting time for a new digital hearing aid from the point of referral from GP to final fitting of the aid in Northern Ireland is not collected centrally. However, information is collected on the number of people who were waiting for a hearing aid assessment/re-assessment to be completed according to specified time bands. Waiting time is counted from the date a referral is received by the Audiology Department until the aid is fitted.
	As waiting list information is collected by specified time bands, it is not possible to calculate the actual average waiting time for a digital hearing aid. At 31 March 2006, 2,184 patients were waiting for a hearing assessment / re-assessment in Northern Ireland; 1,089 had waited 6 to 12 months, 563 waited less than 3 months, 420 waited 3 to 6 months, and 112 waited 12 months or more.
	Information on hearing aid assessments / re-assessments for the quarters ending 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006 are due for release in early May 2007. These have been delayed until inconsistencies and validation errors are resolved with Audiology Departments in Northern Ireland.

Irish Language

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 562W, what his Department's estimate is of the cost of implementing an Irish Language Bill.

Maria Eagle: It has been estimated that in 2008-09 financial year, the first full year after any Irish Language Bill becomes law, total expenditure by Northern Ireland Departments on the Irish language could be in the region of 12.55 million; this represents an increase over existing expenditure of approximately 2.81 million.

Macular Degeneration

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of people  (a) diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration and  (b) who develop blindness each year as the result of age-related macular degeneration in the Province.

Paul Goggins: An estimate for the number of people diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration is not available. However, the number of admissions to hospital, where the patient had a diagnosis of macular degeneration is available and is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			   Admissions( 1) 
			 2005-06 438 
			 (1) Discharges and deaths are used as an approximation to admissions.  Source:  Hospital Inpatient System. 
		
	
	An estimate of the number of patients who develop blindness each year as the result of age-related macular degeneration in the Province is not available.

Motor Vehicles

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles registered in the Republic of Ireland which used roads in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr, Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Lady in response to this question.
	 Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbi n,  dated 3 April 2007:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a parliamentary question regarding, what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles registered in the Republic of Ireland which used roads in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years. As Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	I should explain that Roads Service collects data on the volume of traffic on Northern Ireland's roads to help contribute to the effective management of the road network and to help with the development of future road improvements. This data is collected via some 270 automatic traffic counting sites located on roads across Northern Ireland. This information is published in our annual Traffic and Travel Information Report (a copy of which can be obtained by writing to Mr. Brian Maxwell, Network Traffic Telematics Manager, Traffic information and Control Centre, 1b Airport Road, Belfast, BT3 9DY). The automatic traffic counting sites use loops cut into the road surface to detect vehicles as they pass. They provide details of the number of vehicles broken down into five classes (cars, light vans, articulated lorries etc).
	The majority of the main ('A' Class) border roads have an automatic counting site, but it is not possible from the information provided by these to determine the country of registration of a vehicle. Therefore it is not possible to make an estimate of the number of vehicles registered in the Republic of Ireland which used roads in Northern Ireland, from this source of information.
	In order to ascertain the number of vehicles registered in the Republic of Ireland using roads in Northern Ireland each year, it would be necessary to carry out a survey that noted the registration numbers of vehicles passing various points. Roads Service currently does not carry out this type of survey and has no plans to do so.
	My officials also consulted with other relevant Departments, but it would appear that they do not collect the information you requested either.

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Government are satisfied with the financial and equality provisions in place in respect of cross-border bodies established in consequence of the Belfast Agreement; and whether these correspond with the requirements placed on non-cross-border public bodies within Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: I am satisfied with the arrangements relating to financial and equality provisions in place in respect of those cross-border bodies established in consequence of the Belfast Agreement and that these are comparable to those placed on other non-cross-border public bodies in Northern Ireland.

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether employees from Northern Ireland working within the cross-border bodies, established in consequence of the Belfast Agreement are subject to the Government's public sector pay policy.

David Hanson: The cross-border bodies are accountable to the North/South Ministerial Council and are jointly funded by the Northern Ireland Public Expenditure system and the Irish Government. Northern Ireland staff employed in the cross-border bodies generally follow the NICS pay award and their pay growth is considered, with due regard to public sector pay policy, as part of the business planning process. For these reasons cross-border bodies are currently outside the formal HM Treasury pay remits process.

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by his Department on  (a) the North/South Language Body and  (b) the Ulster Scots Agency in each year since its formation.

Maria Eagle: The amount of funding from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure for the North/South Language Body and the Ulster-Scots Agency each year since its formation is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   North South language body  Ulster-Scots Agency 
			 2000 2.303 0.5 
			 2001 3.5 0.97 
			 2002 3.71 1.07 
			 2003 4.005 1.155 
			 2004 4.561 1.337 
			 2005 4.599 1.357 
			 2006 5.095 1.61

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are employed by the  (a) North/South Language Body and  (b) Ulster Scots Agency; and what the source of the funding for these posts is.

Maria Eagle: The number of people employed by the North/South Language Body and the Ulster-Scots Agency and their source of funding is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of staff  Funding source 
			 North/South Language Body (Foras na Gaeilge and Ulster- Scots Agency) 54 (permanent) Sponsoring Departments (Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in NI, and Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in the Republic of Ireland) 
			  2 (secondees)  
			  4 (temporary)  
			  3 (project) Special European Union Programme Body 
			 Total 63  
			
			 Ulster-Scots Agency 11 Sponsoring Departments Fixed Term appointments 
			  3 SEUPB project 
			 Total 14

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the budget of the  (a) North/South Language Body and  (b) Ulster Scots Agency was in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07.

Maria Eagle: The financial year for all the North/South implementation bodies is the calendar year. The budgets for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			 North/South Language Body 14.683 14.777 15. 837 
			 Ulster-Scots Agency 1.784 1.809 2. 132

Northern Ireland Executive: Departmental Coordination

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the extent of data sharing across Northern Ireland's Government departments and agencies.

David Hanson: While there has been no formal assessment of the extent of data sharing across Northern Ireland's departments and agencies to date, it is recognised that there is a need for Northern Ireland departments and agencies to share data where it is necessary to carry out the normal business of the Department.
	Indeed, there are already some pockets of data-sharing excellence in areas as diverse as the Causeway programme, a joint enterprise within the criminal justice system where electronically shared information is improving business process and performance, and the Northern Ireland Mapping Agreement which supplies the Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland product range, including the Pointer database, to all NICS departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies, including local councils.

Outdoor Advertising

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to introduce measures in Northern Ireland of equivalent effect to the Town and Country Planning Control of Advertisements Regulations 2007.

David Cairns: I am presently considering whether equivalent regulations to the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 should be introduced in Northern Ireland. However, given the imminent return to a devolved Administration in May, the decision on whether to introduce such measures would be a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Planning

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many enforcement officers are  (a) employed by the planning division in Northern Ireland and  (b) were employed in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: The Department of the Environment's Planning Service currently employs 45 enforcement officers. The number of enforcement officers employed in the previous three years is shown in the following table. Prior to 2004, a separate staff complement for enforcement officers was not maintained as enforcement staff were counted as part of the overall divisional development control staff complement.
	
		
			  As at March each year  Number of enforcement officers 
			 2006 51 
			 2005 46 
			 2004 56 
		
	
	The total staff complement for enforcement is 57. Planning Service intends to appoint additional staff in the near future to increase the current total to the full complement following a recent recruitment and promotion exercise.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Redundancy Pay

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what details were passed to his Department by the Northern Ireland Police Fund regarding the dismissal of Mr. Desmond Clayton;
	(2)  whether details of severance packages paid to members of staff at the Northern Ireland Police Fund are among the issues his Department discusses with the Fund as part of standard Corporate Governance arrangements.

Paul Goggins: As part of the standard corporate governance arrangements regular meetings are held and correspondence exchanged on a range of issues relating to the business of the Northern Ireland Police Fund.

Pupils: Intimidation

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that education and library boards in Northern Ireland collect statistics on the incidences of bullying recorded in schools in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: There are no plans at present to do so; however information about the scale and nature of bullying in Northern Ireland schools will be contained in a research report, which will be published later this year.

Racial Hostility Offences

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2006 to the hon. Member for Foyle,  Official Report, column 781W, on racial hostility offences, what progress has been made by the Government and enforcement and prosecution authorities in developing a mechanism to collect information on sentences imposed for offences motivated by hostility towards a person's race in relation to the Criminal Justice (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004.

David Hanson: The Public Prosecution Service is currently in the process of identifying cases since late 2005 where, in the judgment of a Public Prosecutor, there was a racial motivation behind offences. This will enable the identification of sentences by the Courts Services imposed for offences motivated by hostility towards a person's race. I will arrange for any information on sentences imposed to be forwarded when it is available.

Roads: Bangor

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many accidents were recorded on the A2 Bangor to Belfast road in each of the last three years; and how long the road closed as a result in each case.

Paul Goggins: I have been advised by the PSNI of the following details in respect of accident recorded on the A2 Bangor to Belfast Road. The following table shows injury road traffic collisions between the junctions of Knocknagoney Road and Abbey Street/Brunswick Road, Bangor. I have been advised that they do not record road closure times at accidents.
	
		
			  1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006 
			   Fatal collisions  Serious collisions  Slight collisions  All collisions  Killed  Seriously injured  Slightly injured  All casualties 
			 1 January to 31 December 2004 2 9 23 34 2 13 58 73 
			 1 January to 31 December 2005 1 5 32 38 1 8 52 61 
			 1 January to 31 December 2006(1) 2 6 39 47 2 6 77 85 
			 (1) Please note 2006 figures are still provisional.  Source: Central Statistics Unit, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Lisnasharragh 
		
	
	Due to ongoing validation, this information may be subject to change.

Sentencing

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of community sentencing as a means of cutting crime in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The most recent assessment of community sentencing is published in the Statistics and Research Bulletin 3/2006 Reconviction in Northern Ireland: Results from the 2002 cohort. This bulletin monitors progress against the Northern Ireland Office PSA to reduce reconvictions. The following table details the community sentencing data and shows that the actual reconviction rate was 9.9 per cent. lower than the predicted reconviction rate.
	
		
			  Two year reconviction rates against predicted rates2002 
			   Community sentencing( 1) 
			 Total 1,448 
			 Reconvicted 582 
			 Actual (percentage) 40.2 
			 Predicted (percentage) 44.6 
			 Difference (percentage)(2) 9.9 
			 (1) Includes community service orders, attendance centre orders, probation orders and combination orders.  (2) Percentage difference = (predicted  actual)/predicted.

Social Services: Sexual Offences

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) highest,  (b) lowest and  (c) average amount paid per patient by each health trust in the Province to (i) independent social care providers and (ii) independent providers of social care for sex offenders was in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: Information on the costs of independent social care provision for sex offenders is not available.
	Information on the amounts paid per patient to independent social care providers by each health Trust is also not available. However, annually published reference costs give the total cost of Independent Domiciliary Care per hour provided and the total cost of Independent Daycare per day attendance. They also give the total cost of Independent Residential Care and Nursing Care per occupied week. On these bases, across NI health trusts the highest, lowest and average 2005-06 costs for each service are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   
			   Highest  Lowest  Average 
			 Independent servicesDomiciliary care (cost per hour provided) 13.46 7.71 10.75 
			 Independent Daycare (cost per day attendance) 43.13 13.42 26.98 
			 Independent Residential Care (cost per occupied week) 485 332 472 
			 Nursing Care (cost per occupied week) 577 447 494 
			  Source:  DHSSPS Reference Costs 2005-06

Social Services: Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Care Trust

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust had their social care needs assessed incorrectly in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Information on the numbers of people whose social care needs were assessed incorrectly is not collected centrally.
	Community Information Branch (CIB) within the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, requested the information from the Chief Executive for Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust who confirmed that it is not recorded.
	If a complaint is received that an inaccurate assessment of need has taken place, the normal course of action would be for the appropriate team manager to review the assessment. If the review is upheld as being inaccurate, a reassessment is undertaken and any inaccuracy is addressed as a training issue with the appropriate staff.

South Eastern Education and Library Board

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on sending commissioners at the South Eastern Education and Library Board on training courses since they were appointed.

Maria Eagle: I have been advised by the Chief Executive of the South Eastern Education and Library Board that since their appointment, the Board has incurred no costs through training courses for the Commissioners.

Stillbirths: Miscarriage

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the procedures are for returning body parts to families following stillbirths and miscarriages; and where body parts are stored following stillbirths or miscarriages in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The Human Tissue Act 2004 set out a new legal framework for the removal, storage and use of tissue and organs from the deceased. The Act also established the Human Tissue Authority as the regulatory body for these matters.
	The Authority published six codes of practice on the removal, storage, use and disposal of human tissue and organs, which were laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly on 19 July 2006 and notified to the HPSS by the acting chief medical officer in August. All trusts in Northern Ireland are required to comply with these codes. In addition, the DHSSPS has also issued a Careplan for Women who Experience a Miscarriage, Stillbirth or Neonatal Death and explanatory booklets to accompany the consent forms that are used to record a family' s wishes in respect of a hospital post mortem examination and the removal, use and disposal of human tissue.
	Parents who have suffered a stillbirth or miscarriage are given oral and written information and asked whether they wish to have their baby or the tissue that was in the womb examined pathologically. This would involve a post mortem examination or histopathological examination in a laboratory. They will also be asked how they wish the remains to be disposed of, which can be arranged either by the hospital or the family.
	Depending on the decisions taken by the family, the remains may be stored in a mortuary or pathology laboratory. All babies greater than 12 weeks gestational size have their post mortem examination carried out in the Royal Hospital's mortuary. The return of a baby, foetus or miscarriage tissue to a family may be via a funeral director or directly to the family.

Suicide

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was spent on combating suicide in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible to provide information in the precise form requested. A large number of organisations, statutory and non-statutory have been involved in suicide prevention work during this period.
	Prior to the publication of the Northern Ireland Suicide Prevention Strategy, Protect LifeA Shared Vision on 30 October 2006. the issue of suicide prevention was tackled through implementation of the Promoting Mental Health Strategy and Action Plan. This strategy contains 10 specific actions relating to suicide prevention, including the promotion of coping skills and the development of a suicide awareness programme.
	The funding for the Promoting Mental Health Strategy and Action Plan for each of the years since its launch in 2003 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Funding () 
			 2002-03 200,000 
			 2003-04 300,000 
			 2004-05 350,000 
			 2005-06 600,000 
			 2006-07 600,000 
		
	
	Following concern about an increasing number of local suicides, a separate suicide prevention strategy for Northern Ireland has recently been developed. The funding allocated specifically for the implementation of this new strategy is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Funding () 
			 2006-07 1,900,000 
			 2007-08 to 2011 3,060,000 
		
	
	The figures aforementioned do not incorporate substantial funding made available via mental health services, other Departments and/or contributions made by many community and voluntary organisations such as the Samaritans and Aware Defeat Depression, all of which contribute to suicide prevention.

Tomography: Waiting Lists

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in each health trust in the Province are waiting for an MRI scan; what the average waiting time is for an MRI scan in each health trust; and what the longest waiting time has been over the last five years for an MRI scan in each health trust.

Paul Goggins: Information is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Trust  Total number of patients waiting for an MRI scan at 23 March 2007  Average waiting time for an MRI scan in days at 23 March 2007  Longest wait for an MRI scan in days during the last five years 
			 Altnagelvin 563 98 (1)252 
			 Belfast City Hospital 993 99 (2)193 
			 Craigavon 178 126 n/a 
			 Greenpark 1,106 60 300 
			 Royal 558 60 (3)180 
			 Ulster 292 60 224 
			 United 225 31 84 
			 n/a = Figure not available.  1 Figures for Altnagelvin are not available; prior to June 2004, therefore this figure relates to the period between June 2004 and March 2007.  2 Figures for Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust are not available prior to the 2006-07 year, therefore the longest wait figure is at 23 March 2007.  3 The longest wait figure for the Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trusts relates to the position at 23 March 2007.   Source:  HPSS Trusts 
		
	
	Data produced from the Department's performance management system indicates that as at the end of March 2007, there were no patients waiting more than 26 weeks for any Imaging Service in HPSS Trusts in Northern Ireland.

Valuation and Lands Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what Gateway Reviews have  (a) been produced and  (b) are underway of projects by the Valuation and Lands Agency.

David Hanson: Gateway Reviews have  (a) been produced for the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal Implementation Project and the Public Interface Project, and  (b) will be produced for the Land and Property Services programme.

Victims: Finance

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding was provided to each victims group in the Province in each year since 1994.

David Hanson: Records show that funding detailed in the following table has been allocated to organisations involved in providing support for victims between April 1998 and March 2007. Year by year breakdowns of these figures is not available nor are details of funding prior to 1998. In both cases this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In addition to the amounts shown, victims' groups may also apply for funding from any programme or scheme, such as the District Council Community Relations Programme or European Union funding through the Local Strategy Partnerships, for which they can satisfy the relevant eligibility criteria.
	
		
			  Orga nisation Providing S upport for  Vi ctims  Amount  a llocated () 
			 123 House 158,746 
			 A Peace Cantata 4,430 
			 Aisling Centre 225,982 
			 Alanna Consultancy 1,790 
			 An Crann 63,500 
			 Ardoyne Commemoration 14,900 
			 Armagh Voluntary Welfare Group 28,296 
			 Ashton Community Trust 2,330,673 
			 Association for Family Therapy NI 6,100 
			 Ballybone, Belfast 2,100 
			 Ballymoney District Partnership (Victims) 16,000 
			 Ballymurphy Centre 568,810 
			 Bannside Community Group 23,994 
			 Barnardo's 75,050 
			 Base 2 25,375 
			 Befriending and Counselling 4,397 
			 Belfast Cognitive Therapy Centre 56,215 
			 Breaking the Silence 4,998 
			 Care in Crisis 1,964 
			 Community Action for Locally Managed Stress (CALMS) 878,520 
			 Centre for Creative Energy, Londonderry 11,520 
			 Cheshire Regimental Association 290 
			 Claudy 12,027 
			 Cliftonville Community Regeneration Forum 2,590 
			 Coiste na n-larchimi 2,404 
			 Co Tyrone Frontier Relief Fund 2,000 
			 Coleraine/Ballymoney UDR 118,060 
			 Colin Community Counselling Project 3,526 
			 Colleague Support Group 3,100 
			 Columba Community 223,663 
			 Combat Stress 6,500 
			 Community Council 2,240 
			 Community Foundation for Northern Ireland 12,500 
			 Community Relations Council 38,357 
			 Comrades Support Group(1) 4,760 
			 Conflict Trauma Resource Centre 265,787 
			 Contact Youth 156,461 
			 Conway Education Centre 2,500 
			 Cookstown Colleague Support 2,165 
			 Corpus Christi Services 566,439 
			 Corrymeela Community 7,500 
			 Cost of the Troubles Study 97,251 
			 Crossfire Trust 17,214 
			 CRUSE (Foyle) 35,000 
			 CRUSE Bereavement (NI) 74,915 
			 CRUSE Bereavement Care (Belfast) 37,587 
			 CRUSE (Causeway) 2,500 
			 Cum arm Tar Abhaile 22,171 
			 Cunamh 751,084 
			 Dairy Farm Jobclub 111,394 
			 Democratic Dialogue 7,485 
			 Derry and Raphoe Action 347,229 
			 Derry City Council 2,500 
			 Derry Well Women 172,986 
			 Disabled Police Officers Association (DPOA) 190,395 
			 Divis Centre 1,005 
			 East Belfast Mission 1,560 
			 Eastern Health  Social Services Board Trauma Advisory Panel 158,567 
			 Families of the Displaced, Dispersed and Disappeared (FODDD) 194,969 
			 Families Achieving Change Together (FACT) 647,634 
			 Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR) 1,358,142 
			 Families for Truth and Justice 800 
			 Family Trauma Centre 704,062 
			 Fermanagh College 69,600 
			 Fermanagh South Tyrone Terrorist Victims Association 96,738 
			 Fermanagh Voluntary Welfare Support Group 9,912 
			 Firinne 347,783 
			 Friends of WAVE 2,304 
			 Give Innocent Victims Equality (GIVE) 5,200 
			 Glencree LIVE ProgrammeThe Restorick Group 750 
			 Greater Belfast Community Network 84,500 
			 Greater Twinbrook and Poleglass Community Forum 10,000 
			 Healing Through Remembering 10,000 
			 Help and Advice with Victims Every Need (HAVEN) 212,242 
			 Holy Trinity 237,611 
			 Holywell Trust 16,329 
			 Homes United by Ruthless Terrorism (HURT) 480,729 
			 HOPE 500 
			 Innocence, Truth and Justice 980 
			 Institute for Counselling and Personal Development (ICPD) 744,225 
			 Interact 5,000 
			 Interchurch Group on Faith and Politics 600 
			 Irish Peace Institute 11,000 
			 Koram Centre 254,938 
			 Ladies Friendship Group 4,075 
			 Lenadoon Community Counselling Project 300,238 
			 Lifeline 26,500 
			 Lifespring Health and Healing 10,000 
			 Lifeways Psychotherapy and Counselling Centre 333,793 
			 Lisburn Community Relations Network 1,200 
			 Lisb urn Prisoners Support Project 133,423 
			 Lisburn YMCA 1,200 
			 Loughgall Truth and Justice Campaign 7,200 
			 Lower North Belfast Community Group 2,000 
			 Lurgan Welfare Support Group 4,216 
			 Make Your Mark 57,838 
			 Mid Ulster Survivors Trust 1,000 
			 Mourne Action for Survivors of Terrorism (MAST) 229,191 
			 Newforge Brunch Club 5,004 
			 New Life Counselling Service 464,679 
			 Newry and Mourne Voluntary Welfare Group 12,762 
			 Nexus Institute 51,441 
			 NI Association for Mental Health 46,702 
			 NI Memorial Fund 8,367,288 
			 NI Music Therapy Trust 94,969 
			 NI Prison Service 600 
			 NICRA 1,000 
			 North and West Belfast Trust 20,000 
			 Northern Health and Social Services Board Trauma Advisory Panel 155,158 
			 North Ulster Victims Support Network 15,094 
			 NI Centre for Trauma and Transformation (NICTT) 2,000,000 
			 NI Terrorist Victims Together 3,050 
			 NOVA 584,175 
			 Omagh Independent Advice Services 31,657 
			 Omagh Support and Self Help Group 217,747 
			 Passionist Youth 94,800 
			 Pat Finucane Centre 21,118 
			 Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust 20,000 
			 Positive Action 91,328 
			 Prison Service Trust 64,160 
			 RAFT-Restorative Action Following the Troubles 191,095 
			 Regimental Association UDR(1) 134,816 
			 Relatives For Justice 1,268,341 
			 Royal Artillery Association 2,232 
			 Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) 138,547 
			 RUC GC Association(1) 25,649 
			 Rural Network 205,345 
			 Seeds of Hope 2,500 
			 Shankill Stress and Trauma Group 706,422 
			 Sligo Presbyterian 7,500 
			 SOLAS Victim Support 111,479 
			 South Deny Ex-Prisoners Association 2,500 
			 South Down Action for Healing Wounds (SDAHW) 341,387 
			 South East Fermanagh Foundation 429,513 
			 South Tyrone Empowerment Programme 15,740 
			 South Tyrone Voluntary Welfare Group 6,140 
			 South West Community Victims 10,000 
			 South/North Armagh Victims Encouraging Recognition (SAVER/NAVER) 952,788 
			 Southern Health and Social Services Board Trauma Advisory Panel 179,149 
			 Sperrin Lakeland Trust 70,649 
			 Springhill Community House 279,896 
			 Springvale Training 195,192 
			 Stepping Stone, Craigavon 55,000 
			 Stewartstown and District Support Group 3,260 
			 Strabane Befriending and Counselling Association 311,609 
			 Streetbeat Youth Project 215,532 
			 Sub Committee for Victims 368,112 
			 Support, Training, Education, Employment, Research (STEER) Mental Health 149,119 
			 Survivors of Trauma 902,184 
			 Tar Anall 115,300 
			 Tar Isteach 190,993 
			 Tara Counselling and Personal Development Company Ltd. 923,597 
			 TEAR 11,579 
			 The Bloody Sunday Trust 84,765 
			 The Church's Ministry of Healing 18,000 
			 The Cross Group 22,745 
			 The Ely Centre 631,893 
			 The Phoenix Group 35,447 
			 The Royal British Legion (Upperlands Branch) 2,000 
			 The Samaritans, Belfast 8,000 
			 The Samaritans, Coleraine 7,000 
			 The Wider Circle 265,527 
			 Threshold 3,000 
			 Towards Healing and Understanding 5,500 
			 Trauma Recovery Network 1,235 
			 Tullycarnet Victims Support Group 5,400 
			 UDR Association(1) 18,667 
			 Ulster Special Constabulary Association(1) 50,256 
			 United Services Club 133,816 
			 Victims Support (NI) 52,000 
			 Victims and Survivors Trust (VAST) 514,181 
			 VOICE 121,542 
			 Voices Women's Group 17,054 
			 WAVE(1) 5,399,569 
			 West Belfast Cross Community Partnership 48,700 
			 West Tyrone Voice (WTV) 820,085 
			 Western Enterprise Social Legal and Educational Victims Trust 3,950 
			 Western Health and Social Services Board Trauma Advisory Panel 197,852 
			 Widows Mite 4,840 
			 Women Together 11,641 
			 Yarn and Darn 1,096 
			 Yes! 5,000 
			 Total 43,962,152 
			 (1) These organisations have a number of branches and the funding for individual branches has been combined for the purposes of the table.   Note:  The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (formerly NIVT) also received 1,123,324 through the EU Special Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (Peace I) which supported victims of violence. The Foundation allocated these funds in support of a number of projects for both ex-prisoners and victims. Persons from these groups could benefit from the same project and it is not possible to disaggregate the assistance between the two groups.

Voluntary Organisations: Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to ensure voluntary organisations providing services for publicly-funded health bodies in Northern Ireland receive full recovery of costs.

Paul Goggins: The Department of Health and Social Services and Public Safety recognises the vital role played by the voluntary and community sector in the delivery of health care services across Northern Ireland. The Government also acknowledge, as indicated in their response to 'Investing TogetherPositive Steps', that voluntary organisations must be able to recover full overhead costs for delivering a contracted service. The Department is working in partnership with the Department of Finance and Personnel and the Department for Social Development to develop this approach.

National Insurance Numbers

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers were  (a) issued,  (b) deleted and  (c) current in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Total number of national insurance numbers issued between 1997 and 2006 
			   Number 
			 1997 1,017,500 
			 1998 1,026,885 
			 1999 11,021,776 
			 2000 995,351 
			 2001 928,059 
			 2002 1,082,035 
			 2003 1,141,795 
			 2004 1,250,622 
			 2005 1,486,312 
			 2006 1,531,786 
			  Note:  The number of national insurance numbers (NINOs) issued includes the following:  1. Children who reach 16 years of age (the juvenile registration process);  2. UK adults who missed out on the juvenile registration process; and  3.Foreign nationals who enter the UK and require a NINO for benefit, tax credit or employment purposes (adult NINO allocation process). 
		
	
	
		
			  Total approximate number of national insurance numbers in issue at 31 December in each year between 1997 and 2006 
			   Number (million) 
			 1997 66 
			 1998 67 
			 1999 68 
			 2000 69 
			 2001 70 
			 2002 71 
			 2003 72 
			 2004 73 
			 2005 74.5 
			 2006 76.8 
		
	
	The discrepancy between the number of NINOs allocated and the increase in the overall numbers of cases in issue is due to the differences in Child Reference Numbers allocated and those changing to NINOs at aged 16 years, which is closely linked to birth rates over a 16-year period.
	NINOs are not normally deleted from the Departmental Central Index (DCI) or Customer Information System (CIS). For example, they are retained after a person dies or moves abroad. This is because individuals who move abroad may at some point have a call upon contributions paid whilst in the UK. In the case of deceased individuals, a partner may make a claim for a contributory benefit, which is dependent on the contribution record of the deceased individual. This means that the number of accounts held on the system accrues as NINOs are allocated each year.
	A joint data cleansing exercise was carried out in 2000-01 with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, who jointly own the NINO. This exercise identified NINOs for which there had been no activity for a considerable period of time and which were not known to the National Insurance Recording System (NIRs). This exercise removed 200,000 NINOs from DCI.

Departments: Pay

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the salary band is of her Department's new Director of Communications;
	(2)  what the name is of her Department's new Director of Communications.

Angela Smith: The salary for the Director of Communications falls, in line with other major Departments of State, within pay band 2 of the senior civil service pay range, details of which are published on www.civilservice.gov.uk
	The names of all directors in the Department are published on the Department's website at www.communities.gov.uk

Fire Services: Manpower

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects  (a) each regional fire control centre to open and  (b) staff to migrate to each centre; and what the rental costs are expected to be for each centre in the final year of operation.

Angela Smith: The dates when each FRA control room functions are expected to cut over to the new regional control centre are set out in the following table. The table also gives the annual rent for each RCC building. Prior to cut-over, each RCC building will be equipped with IT infrastructure that will provide the call handling and mobilisation functionality. The RCCs will also be used for staff training and by the regional project management team.
	Staff will become employees of an RCC at or around the time of their authority cut- over.
	
		
			  FRA  Control room function cut-over to RCC  Annual lease per annum for RCC () 
			  East Midlands   
			 Derbyshire October 2009 (1)1,205,000 
			 Leicestershire January 2010 (1) 
			 Nottinghamshire March 2010 (1) 
			 Lincolnshire May 2010 (1) 
			 Northamptonshire July 2010 (1) 
			
			  North East   
			 Durham and Darlington January 2010 (2)1,156,009 
			 Tyne and Wear October 2009 (2) 
			 Cleveland March 2010 (2) 
			 Northumberland March 2010 (2) 
			
			  South West   
			 Somerset October 2009 (3)1,213,500 
			 Devon January 2010 (3) 
			 Dorset March 2010 (3) 
			 Avon May 2010 (3) 
			 Cornwall July 2010 (3) 
			 Wiltshire September 2010 (3) 
			 Gloucestershire January 2011 (3) 
			
			  West Midlands   
			 Staffordshire January 2010 (4)1,358,311 
			 West Midlands March 2010 (4) 
			 Shropshire May 2010 (4) 
			 Hereford and Worcester September 2010 (4) 
			 Warwickshire July 2010 (4) 
			
			  South East   
			 Hampshire May 2010 (5)1,445,000 
			 Royal Berkshire September 2010 (5) 
			 Oxfordshire January 2011 (5) 
			 Kent March 2011 (5) 
			 East Sussex May 2011 (5) 
			 Buckinghamshire July 2011 (5) 
			 Isle of Wight September 2011 (5) 
			 Surrey September 2011 (5) 
			 West Sussex July 2010 (5) 
			
			  North West   
			 Cumbria March 2011 (6)1,197,500 
			 Cheshire March 2011 (6) 
			 Lancashire March 2011 (6) 
			 Greater Manchester September 2010 (6) 
			 Merseyside January 2011 (6) 
			
			  Yorkshire and Humberside   
			 West Yorkshire January 2011 (7)1,198,808 
			 South Yorkshire March 2011 (7) 
			 Humberside May 2011 (7) 
			 North Yorkshire May 2011 (7) 
			
			  East of England   
			 Essex July 2011 (8)1,349,322 
			 Norfolk September 2011 (8) 
			 Cambridge and Peterborough May 2011 (8) 
			 Hertfordshire September 2011 (8) 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton July 2011 (8) 
			 Suffolk July 2011 (8) 
			
			  London   
			 London November 2010 Procurement ongoing. No estimate available at this time

After School Clubs: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places were available in after-school clubs for  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school age children in (i) Eastbourne and (ii) East Sussex in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested about child care places broken down by primary and secondary school age children is not collected. The available information on the number of registered child care places in out of school clubs for children under eight in East Sussex local authority area is shown in the tables.
	The latest figures on registered child care provider and places are available on the following website
	www.ofsted.gov.uk/.
	
		
			  Table 1 :  Number( 1,2)  of registered child care  places for children under eight  years of age  East Sussex  Position at 31 March each year  1997 to 2002 
			   Number of places 
			 1997 290 
			 1998 230 
			 1999 480 
			 2000 430 
			 2001 480 
			 2002 (3) 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 places. (2) Data Source: Children's Day Care Facilities Survey. (3 )Not available. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number( 1,2)  of registered child care p laces in out of school day care  for children under eight years of age  East Sussex  Position at 31 March each year  2003 to 2006 
			   Number of places 
			 2003 2,000 
			 2004 2,600 
			 2005 2,700 
			 2006 2,900 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 places. (2) Data Source: Ofsted

Apprenticeships

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of apprenticeship training providers funded by the Learning and Skills Council were employers in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: Data on Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships are collected on the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The table shows the percentage of apprenticeship training providers funded by the LSC that were private organisations in their own right or other private organisations. Included within these proportions are employers whose main business activity is the provision of education and training. We are unable to separately identify such employers.
	
		
			   Percentage of providers that were employers 
			 2002/03 70 
			 2003/04 67 
			 2004/05 67 
			 2005/06 66

Children: Day Care

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many child care places were available in England in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006.

Beverley Hughes: As at 31 March 1997 there were 637,700 registered child care places(1) in England. The equivalent figure for 2006 is 1,254,400.
	The latest figures on registered child care provider and places are available on the following website, www.ofsted.gov.uk/
	(1) Local authorities were responsible for the registration and inspection of children's day care facilities until these responsibilities were transferred to Ofsted in September 2001.
	With the introduction of the National Day Care Standards and the transfer of responsibilities for registration and inspection of child care providers from local authority social service departments to Ofsted in September 2001, child care places were classified according to the type of day care provided. Previously, child care places were classified according to the type of provider. The figures for 1997 include child minders, day nurseries and out of school clubs. The figures for 2006 include child minders, full day care and out of school care.

City Academies

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what evidence and analysis informed the decision to extend the target for academies from 200 to 400 by 2010.

Jim Knight: holding answer 19 March 2007
	The decision was informed by the large body of evidence which shows that academies are an effective way of improving performance in underperforming schools and that despite the overall rise in education standards over the last decade there will remain a significant number of schools beyond the initial target of 200 academies which are underperforming and would benefit by becoming an academy.
	The percentage of pupils getting five good GCSEs including English and Maths in academies improved last year alone by 6.2 percentage pointssix times better than the national improvement rate of one percentage pointand all 21 academies which had students who took GCSEs in 2006 are above the floor targets; 18 of the 24 predecessor schools they replaced were below.
	Academies are making dramatic improvements at key stage threeabove the national averagewith rises last year of 8.1 percentage points in English, nine percentage points in Maths and 10.5 percentage points in Science compared to previous validated results.
	16 academies have had full Ofsted inspections. Key to the future success of the academies is their leadership and management. On this indicator Ofsted has classed two academies as outstanding, 10 as good, three as satisfactory and one as inadequate.
	Academies are popular with parents. There were three applications for each academy place in September 2006. Almost all academies were oversubscribed on opening and each year afterwards.
	There is growing support from local authorities. For example, Manchester city council has ambitious plans for eight academies across the citystrategically targeting underperforming schools in disadvantaged communities and forming part of wider programmes of regeneration.
	Last year's independent PricewaterhouseCoopers evaluation of academies found strong pupil and teacher support for academies. It included a survey reporting that 81 per cent. of pupils thought their school work had improved since joining the academy and that total attendance in academies had risen and at a faster rate than the national average.
	All of the above were factors in the decision to expand the programme to 400. The case has since been reinforced by the positive findings of the NAO report on academies published last month, which found that academies are on track to deliver good value for money. The NAO concluded that academies are improving performance compared with predecessor schools, and that the improvement is faster than in comparable schools.

City Academies: Qualifications

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has  (a) to pilot and  (b) to introduce specialised 14-19 diplomas in academies.

Jim Knight: Yesterday we announced the first 145 consortia (groups of schools, colleges and training providers) that have been given approval to offer one or more of the first five 14-19 diplomas from September 2008. The five 14-19 diplomas to be offered from September are: Creative and Media; Society, Health and Development; IT; Construction and the Built Environment; and, Engineering. There are 20 academies involved in successful consortia, and, as a group, they will contribute to provision across all five diplomas. Each of the diplomas will be piloted for three academic years following its introduction.

Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the evidential basis was for the statement in the Qualification and Curriculum Authority's 2006 Annual Review that there is a broad consensus on the purposes, values and aims for the curriculum.

Jim Knight: The statement in the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's Annual Review was based on an extensive informal consultation on the purposes, values and aims for the curriculum with a wide variety of groups. This included some 45,000 teachers and headteachers; 1,000 professionals from local authorities; 2,000 pupils and around 3,000 other stakeholders.

Education: Standards

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average  (a) contextualised value added scores and  (b) value added scores were in each (i) selective, (ii) partially selective and (iii) comprehensive local education authority according to the most recent available figures.

Jim Knight: holding  answer 22 March 2006
	 : Information on the key stage 2-4 contextualised value added measures for 2005/06 by local authority and their admissions policy is shown in the table.
	For the most recent year (2005/06) it is only possible to provide contextualised value added figures as value added figures were not calculated.
	
		
			  Contextualised value added measures for pupils at the end of key stage 4( 1)  in 2005/06( 2)  by genderfor each local authority( 3)  and Government office region 
			  Government office region  KS2-KS4 CVA measure  
			  Local authority  Boys  Girls  Total  Local authority admissions policy( 5) 
			  North East 1,003.0 1,000.0 1,001.5  
			 Hartlepool 1,003.2 1,001.2 1,002.2 Comprehensive 
			 Middlesbrough 995.1 997.0 996.0 Comprehensive 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 995.3 991.8 993.6 Comprehensive 
			 Stockton on Tees 998.1 996.2 997.2 Comprehensive 
			 Darlington 987.4 978.8 982.9 Comprehensive 
			 Durham 1,001.4 1,001.4 1,001.4 Comprehensive 
			 Northumberland 1,010.3 1,002.5 1,006.4 Comprehensive 
			 Gateshead 1,012.9 1,016.3 1,014.7 Comprehensive 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 1,007.0 1,003.6 1,005.4 Comprehensive 
			 North Tyneside 1,004.0 1,001.2 1,002.7 Comprehensive 
			 South Tyneside 1,007.3 997.4 1,002.4 Comprehensive 
			 Sunderland 1,002.1 998.3 1,000.2 Comprehensive 
			  
			  North West 999.5 999.6 999.5  
			 Halton 1,006.0 999.4 1,002.9 Comprehensive 
			 Warrington 1,002.1 999.2 1,000.6 Comprehensive 
			 Cheshire 999.1 995.8 997.5 Comprehensive 
			 Cumbria 991.7 995.4 993.5 Partially Selective 
			 Bolton 990.4 990.0 990.2 Comprehensive 
			 Bury 999.3 995.9 997.7 Comprehensive 
			 Manchester 1,007.3 1,003.8 1,005.6 Comprehensive 
			 Oldham 987.1 994.0 990.4 Comprehensive 
			 Rochdale 1,002.9 1,000.0 1,001.5 Comprehensive 
			 Salford 992.5 996.8 994.6 Comprehensive 
			 Stockport 995.7 996.1 995.9 Comprehensive 
			 Tameside 989.4 994.9 992.2 Comprehensive 
			 Trafford 1,008.3 1,010.8 1,009.6 Selective 
			 Wigan 1,000.8 1,002.2 1,001.5 Comprehensive 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 1,000.7 1,004.3 1,002.4 Comprehensive 
			 Blackpool 998.0 993.5 995.7 Comprehensive 
			 Lancashire 999.4 998.0 998.7 Partially Selective 
			 Knowsley 1,000.3 1,003.4 1,001.8 Comprehensive 
			 Liverpool 1,009.7 1,012.6 1,011.2 Partially Selective 
			 St. Helens 994.9 992.1 993.5 Comprehensive 
			 Sefton 1,004.2 1,001.0 1,002.6 Comprehensive 
			 Wirral 1,006.5 1,009.0 1,007.8 Partially Selective 
			  
			  Yorkshire and Humber 994.7 996.6 995.6  
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 1,009.8 1,002.9 1,006.4 Comprehensive 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 982.6 996.1 989.4 Comprehensive 
			 North East Lincolnshire 993.4 987.4 990.4 Comprehensive 
			 North Lincolnshire 996.8 996.3 996.5 Comprehensive 
			 York 1,004.7 999.8 1,002.3 Comprehensive 
			 North Yorkshire 1,004.5 999.6 1,002.1 Partially Selective 
			 Barnsley 1,002.2 1,008.9 1,005.6 Comprehensive 
			 Doncaster 992.1 997.6 994.8 Comprehensive 
			 Rotherham 991.9 999.9 995.8 Comprehensive 
			 Sheffield 993.3 995.7 994.4 Comprehensive 
			 Bradford 995.2 1,001.6 998.3 Comprehensive 
			 Calderdale 990.1 992.6 991.3 Partially Selective 
			 Kirklees 988.9 989.0 988.9 Partially Selective 
			 Leeds 984.1 986.4 985.2 Comprehensive 
			 Wakefield 999.3 1,003.1 1,001.2 Comprehensive 
			  
			  East Midlands 996.3 997.0 996.6  
			 Derby 1,007.0 1,001.4 1,004.2 Comprehensive 
			 Derbyshire 1,001.1 1,001.9 1,001.5 Comprehensive 
			 Leicester City 989.9 992.2 991.0 Comprehensive 
			 Rutland 1,002.2 998.4 1,000.3 Comprehensive 
			 Leicestershire 989.6 992.6 991.1 Comprehensive 
			 Lincolnshire 1,007.5 1,004.6 1,006.1 Partially Selective 
			 Northamptonshire 992.0 992.2 992.1 Comprehensive 
			 Nottingham City 996.7 1,003.4 1,000.1 Comprehensive 
			 Nottinghamshire 989.9 991.8 990.8 Comprehensive 
			  
			  West Midlands 998.8 1,000.8 999.8  
			 Herefordshire 1,006.0 1,005.2 1,005.6 Comprehensive 
			 Worcestershire 1,007.0 1,004.9 1,006.0 Comprehensive 
			 Telford and The Wrekin 1,006.5 1,003.3 1,005.0 Partially Selective 
			 Shropshire 1,003.4 1,005.8 1,004.6 Comprehensive 
			 Stoke on Trent 995.6 996.6 996.1 Partially Selective 
			 Staffordshire 994.9 998.6 996.7 Comprehensive 
			 Warwickshire 999.3 997.6 998.5 Partially Selective 
			 Birmingham 999.8 1,004.4 1,002.1 Partially Selective 
			 Coventry 998.4 994.8 996.6 Comprehensive 
			 Dudley 1,002.8 1,004.4 1,003.5 Comprehensive 
			 Sandwell 997.6 994.9 996.3 Comprehensive 
			 Solihull 994.0 996.3 995.1 Comprehensive 
			 Walsall 984.8 997.0 990.6 Partially Selective 
			 Wolverhampton 995.3 1,004.4 999.9 Partially Selective 
			  
			  East of England 1,001.7 1,001.8 1,001.7  
			 Luton 993.9 993.1 993.5 Comprehensive 
			 Bedfordshire 999.7 1,001.1 1,000.4 Comprehensive 
			 City of Peterborough 1,005.1 1,005.6 1,005.4 Comprehensive 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,004.8 1,002.6 1,003.7 Comprehensive 
			 Southend 1,000.6 1,001.7 1,001.2 Selective 
			 Thurrock 1,003.3 1,011.5 1,007.5 Comprehensive 
			 Essex 998.1 1,000.4 999.2 Partially Selective 
			 Hertfordshire 1,000.5 999.4 1,000.0 Comprehensive 
			 Norfolk 1,005.4 1,000.4 1,003.0 Comprehensive 
			 Suffolk 1,007.3 1,008.7 1,008.1 Comprehensive 
			  
			  London 1,005.6 1,007.1 1,006.3  
			  Inner London 1,009.3 1,012.4 1,010.9  
			 Camden 998.5 1,002.9 1,001.2 Comprehensive 
			 Hackney 1,007.2 1,025.9 1,019.1 Comprehensive 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,012.7 1,008.2 1,010.5 Comprehensive 
			 Haringey 1,011.3 1,010.9 1,011.2 Comprehensive 
			 Islington 1,010.2 1,021.3 1,015.6 Comprehensive 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,013.9 1,001.1 1,008.5 Comprehensive 
			 Lambeth 1,017.9 1,012.6 1,015.1 Comprehensive 
			 Lewisham 1,007.5 1,012.9 1,010.3 Comprehensive 
			 Newham 1,006.9 1,019.0 1,013.0 Comprehensive 
			 Southwark 1,014.9 1,014.7 1,014.9 Comprehensive 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,017.8 1,016.7 1,017.4 Comprehensive 
			 Wandsworth 1,014.4 998.8 1,007.5 Comprehensive 
			 Westminster 974.6 995.7 985.8 Comprehensive 
			  
			  Outer London 1,004.0 1,004.7 1,004.3  
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,002.6 1,007.1 1,004.8 Comprehensive 
			 Barnet 1,008.1 1,007.8 1,008.0 Partially Selective 
			 Bexley 1,001.2 1,000.8 1,001.0 Partially Selective 
			 Brent 1,006.3 1,005.4 1,005.9 Comprehensive 
			 Bromley 1,014.4 1,000.6 1,007.5 Partially Selective 
			 Croydon 1,000.2 1,005.8 1,003.1 Comprehensive 
			 Ealing 1,013.6 1,009.8 1,011.7 Comprehensive 
			 Enfield 1,001.0 1,001.9 1,001.5 Partially Selective 
			 Greenwich 1,000.3 1,007.4 1,003.9 Comprehensive 
			 Harrow 1,012.0 1,015.1 1,013.6 Comprehensive 
			 Havering 1,004.4 1,000.8 1,002.7 Comprehensive 
			 Hillingdon 987.5 991.5 989.5 Comprehensive 
			 Hounslow 998.1 1,004.4 1,001.3 Comprehensive 
			 Kingston upon Thames 996.9 1,005.2 1,001.3 Partially Selective 
			 Merton 989.1 992.9 990.8 Comprehensive 
			 Redbridge 1,018.7 1,015.9 1,017.4 Partially Selective 
			 Richmond upon Thames 988.6 989.5 988.9 Comprehensive 
			 Sutton 997.9 1,003.6 1,000.8 Partially Selective 
			 Waltham Forest 1,017.0 1,017.2 1,017.2 Comprehensive 
			  
			  South East 1,002.0 1,000.9 1,001.5  
			 Bracknell Forest 992.6 1,000.2 996.3 Comprehensive 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 998.6 1,003.7 1,001.0 Comprehensive 
			 West Berkshire 1,009.8 1,004.8 1,007.4 Comprehensive 
			 Reading 998.0 990.8 994.3 Partially Selective 
			 Slough 993.0 1,001.0 996.9 Selective 
			 Wokingham 995.6 996.2 995.9 Comprehensive 
			 Milton Keynes 1,001.9 999.7 1,000.8 Comprehensive 
			 Buckinghamshire 997.1 996.1 996.6 Selective 
			 Brighton and Hove 1,006.5 1,001.7 1,004.1 Comprehensive 
			 East Sussex 1,010.8 1,009.3 1,010.1 Comprehensive 
			 Portsmouth 992.8 998.9 995.8 Comprehensive 
			 Southampton 994.9 1,006.1 1,000.5 Comprehensive 
			 Hampshire 1,001.6 1,000.2 1,000.9 Comprehensive 
			 Isle of Wight 999.4 996.3 997.8 Comprehensive 
			 Medway 1,009.5 1,004.0 1,006.7 Selective 
			 Kent 1,006.4 1,004.0 1,005.2 Selective 
			 Oxfordshire 1,002.8 1,001.0 1,001.9 Comprehensive 
			 Surrey 995.5 995.4 995.5 Comprehensive 
			 West Sussex 1,003.0 1,000.5 1,001.8 Comprehensive 
			  
			  South West 1,001.9 1,001.4 1,001.6  
			 Bath and NE Somerset 1,007.4 1,002.9 1,005.0 Comprehensive 
			 Bristol 995.0 992.0 993.5 Comprehensive 
			 North Somerset 995.1 994.7 994.9 Comprehensive 
			 South Gloucestershire 992.8 993.7 993.2 Comprehensive 
			 Cornwall 1,006.7 1,005.7 1,006.2 Comprehensive 
			 Isles of Scilly 1,018.6 1,015.8 1,023.4 Comprehensive 
			 Torbay 996.8 998.0 997.3 Selective 
			 City of Plymouth 1,001.3 1,002.4 1,001.8 Partially Selective 
			 Devon 1,002.8 1,003.6 1,003.2 Partially Selective 
			 Bournemouth 990.6 997.7 994.0 Partially Selective 
			 Poole 1,012.5 1,002.5 1,007.5 Partially Selective 
			 Dorset 1,009.5 1,008.7 1,009.1 Comprehensive 
			 Gloucestershire 1,003.6 1,000.8 1,002.2 Partially Selective 
			 Somerset 998.5 1,001.2 999.8 Comprehensive 
			 Swindon 995.1 993.1 994.2 Comprehensive 
			 Wiltshire 1,004.7 1,004.3 1,004.5 Partially Selective 
			  
			 Total (maintained sector) 1,000.4 1,000.7 1,000.6  
			  
			 England average(4) 1,000.4 1,000.7 1,000.6  
			 (1) Number of pupils on roll at the end of key stage 4 in the 2005/06 academic year. (2) Including attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. (3) Local authority, Government office region and total (maintained sector) figures are adjusted for pupils recently arrived from overseas. (4) England averages include all schools. (5) A partially selective local authority has less than 25 per cent. of 13 year old pupils on roll attending one or more selective schools. A selective local authority has 25 per cent. or more 13 year old pupils on roll attending one or more selective schools. A comprehensive local authority is where all of its pupils are attending comprehensive schools. (Definition used in the 2006 Schools White Paper.)  Source: GCSE and Equivalent Examination Results in England 2005/06 (Revised)Table 19 [http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000702/index.shtml]

English Language

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget was for English for Speakers of Other Languages provision over the last five years.

Bill Rammell: Since 2001, the funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) has been provided through the Skills for Life strategy in response to regional and local demand.
	The learning and Skills Council (LSC) calculates the total amounts spent on ESOL as 103 million in 2000/01, 185 million in 2001/02, 235 million in 2002/03, 267 million in 2003/04 and 279 million in 2004/05. The 2005/06 final spend (has yet to be confirmed by the LSC; figures prior to 2000/01 are not available as ESOL only became part of the Skills for Life strategy in 2001.

English Language: Fees and Charges

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of students enrolled on English for Speakers of Other Languages programmes are on full fee remittance.

Bill Rammell: All students currently enrolled on English for Speakers of Other Languages programmes are on full fee remission.

GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of GCSE-age pupils attempted a full GCSE in  (a) mathematics,  (b) English,  (c) science,  (d) design and technology,  (e) information and communication technology,  (f) physical education,  (g) history,  (h) geography,  (i) art and design,  (j) music and  (k) a modern foreign language in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of GCSE-age pupils eligible for free school meals attempted a full GCSE in  (a) mathematics,  (b) English,  (c) science,  (d) design and technology,  (e) information and communication technology,  (f) physical education,  (g) history,  (h) geography,  (i) art and design,  (j) music and  (k) a modern foreign language in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: Information on the number and percentage of pupils attempting a full GCSE by subject is shown in the tables.
	Information on the number and percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals attempting a full GCSE by subject can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  GCSE achievements of 15-year-old pupils( 1 ) in all Schools by subject group 
			Mathematics  English  Double Award Science 
			   Number of 15 - year - old pupils  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject 
			 1997 586,766 533,992 91 533,348 91 439,480 75 
			 1998 575,210 526,882 92 519,983 90 431,348 75 
			 1999 580,972 536,779 92 530,173 91 441,897 76 
			 2000 580,393 539,934 93 533,227 92 445,100 77 
			 2001 603,318 563,852 93 555,392 92 464,403 77 
			 2002 606,554 568,851 94 560,199 92 466,469 77 
			 2003 622,122 585,017 94 577,427 93 474,451 76 
			 2004 643,560 606,002 94 597,621 93 479,591 75 
			 2005 636,796 600,811 94 593,648 93 447,702 70 
			 2006 648,942 610,516 94 606,598 93 439,919 68 
		
	
	
		
			Design and Technology( 2)  Computer Studies  Information Technology( 3) 
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject 
			 1997 586,766 138,396 24 14,694 3   
			 1998 575,210 375,453 65 42,651 7   
			 1999 580,972 395,155 68 71,151 12   
			 2000 580,393 404,832 70 81,148 14   
			 2001 603,318 416,015 69 95,150 16   
			 2002 606,554 409,414 67 97,954 16   
			 2003 622,122 414,324 67 75,995 12   
			 2004 643,560 408,525 63   80,565 13 
			 2005 636,796 365,558 57   84,007 13 
			 2006 648,942 337,233 52   89,937 14 
		
	
	
		
			Physical Education  History  Geography 
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject 
			 1997 586,766 80,914 14 207,486 35 259,809 44 
			 1998 575,210 83,665 15 189,070 33 235,908 41 
			 1999 580,972 93,503 16 188,934 33 229,802 40 
			 2000 580,393 96,769 17 190,279 33 217,087 37 
			 2001 603,318 105,651 18 195,231 32 220,378 37 
			 2002 606,554 111,750 18 193,945 32 208,274 34 
			 2003 622,122 110,744 18 194,801 31 200,127 32 
			 2004 643,560 121,433 19 205,539 32 197,123 31 
			 2005 636,796 141,945 22 202,595 32 186,706 29 
			 2006 648,942 152,375 23 208,947 32 184,978 29 
		
	
	
		
			Art and Design  Music  French 
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject 
			 1997 586,766 194,666 33 39,691 7 306,055 52 
			 1998 575,210 180,735 31 38,155 7 307,293 53 
			 1999 580,972 183,157 32 40,709 7 311,384 54 
			 2000 580,393 178,219 31 41,486 7 313,146 54 
			 2001 603,318 180,627 30 41,625 7 321,207 53 
			 2002 606,554 182,056 30 43,470 7 311,847 51 
			 2003 622,122 186,968 30 47,557 8 304,472 49 
			 2004 643,560 187,504 29 50,979 8 289,756 45 
			 2005 636,796 184,814 29 52,228 8 243,177 38 
			 2006 648,942 189,723 29 55,000 8 211,045 33 
		
	
	
		
			German  Spanish  Other Modern Languages 
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject 
			 1997 586,766 127,510 22 34,454 6 17,791 3 
			 1998 575,210 127,374 22 38,810 7 18,207 3 
			 1999 580,972 129,765 22 39,523 7 18,779 3 
			 2000 580,393 127,437 22 42,288 7 19,423 3 
			 2001 603,318 130,627 22 45,629 8 20,317 3 
			 2002 606,554 124,717 21 48,444 8 20,641 3 
			 2003 622,122 120,659 19 51,299 8 21,508 3 
			 2004 643,560 116,347 18 53,539 8 21,879 3 
			 2005 636,796 98,712 16 51,732 8 17,697 3 
			 2006 648,942 85,247 13 52,478 8 19,148 3 
			 (1) Those pupils aged 15 at 31 August at the start of the academic year. (2) Combined Syllabuses for Design and Technology and Information Systems are shown with the main subjects. (3) Also includes Computer Studies, Information Systems and any combined syllabus of which Information Technology is the major part.

GCSE: Results

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of pupils left school without at least five GCSEs at grade C or above including one in mathematics and one in English in  (a) the last year for which figures are available and  (b) each of the previous 10 years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 27 March 2007
	 The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  GCSE and equivalent attempts and achievements, 1995/96 to 2005/06( 1)  in England 
			Pupils not achieving 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE o r  equivalent inc. GCSEs in English and mathematics 
			   Number of pupils( 2)  Number  Percentage 
			  15-year-olds
			 1995/96 594,035 384,686 64.8 
			 1996/97(3) 586,766 377,609 64.4 
			 1997/98 575,210 362,639 63.0 
			 1998/99 580,972 356,489 61.4 
			 1999/2000 580,393 348,307 60.0 
			 2000/01 603,318 357,897 59.3 
			 2001/02 606,554 351,422 57.9 
			 2002/03 622,122 361,686 58.1 
			 2003/04(4) 643,560 369,078 57.3 
			 2004/05 636,771 354,597 55.7 
			 2005/06(5) 648,942 354,837 54.7 
			 
			  Pupils at End Key Stage 4
			 2004/05 633,414 349,205 55.1 
			 2005/06(5) 645,931 349,894 54.2 
			 (1 )Including attempts and achievement in previous academic years. (2) Number of pupils on roll aged 15 at the start of the academic year or from 2004/05 figures are also shown for the number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in that academic year. (3) Percentages from 1996/97 include GCSEs and GNVQs. (4) Percentages from 2003/04 include GCSEs and other equivalent qualifications approved for use pre-16. (5) Figures for 2005/06 are revised, all other figures are final.

Higher Education

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average cost to the public purse of a university degree in England was in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The funding per full-time equivalent higher education student studying at English institutions funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is shown in the table; in addition to these totals, institutions have received income from tuition fees, and from September 2006 have been able to charge up to 3,000 for full-time home and EU undergraduates, with the Government not students meeting the up front costs.
	
		
			  Real terms (2004-05 prices)  Funding per planned student () 
			 1997-98 4,230  
			 1998-99 4,110  
			 1999-2000 4,530  
			 2000-01 4,530  
			 2001-02 4,560  
			 2002-03 4,590  
			 2003-04 4,740  
			 2004-05 4,770  
			 2005-06(1)  4,820 
			 2006-07  4,880 
			 (1) The planned student numbers used in the figures to 2004-05 are taken from a snapshot count. The planned student numbers used in figures from 2005-06 are taken from a whole-year count which replaced the snapshot count method because it is more accurate. 
		
	
	These funds include recurrent resources for teaching and research provided to the HEFCE and the IDA. Figures exclude tuition fee income and expenditure on student support costs.
	The total cost per course would depend on the duration of study, and can be calculated from these per annum costs in each case.
	The coverage of these figures is Home (i.e. UK) and EU domiciled students, including postgraduates, studying at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Further education Colleges (FECs) in England.

Higher Education: Tees Valley

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of  (a) 18 and  (b) 19 year olds from (i) Hartlepool constituency and (ii) Tees Valley sub-region joined university courses in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The latest available figures on participation in higher education by local areas were published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in January 2005 in 'Young Participation in England', which is available from their website at:
	http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05_03/.
	This report shows participation rates for young people who enter higher education aged 18 or 19 for the years 1997 to 2000. The figures for Hartlepool parliamentary constituency, Tees Valley Learning and Skills Council area and the comparable figure for England, are shown in the following table. HEFCE have not produced participation rates beyond 2000.
	
		
			  Young participation rate (YPR (A)) in Higher Education( 1)  for year cohort aged 18 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000 
			 Cohort for Hartlepool(2) 1,230 1,270 1,180 1,190 
			 Young participation rate (A) for Hartlepool(3) (Percentage) 20.0 20.0 20.0 20.0 
			  
			 Cohort for Tees Valley(2) 8,980 9,330 8,990 8,780 
			 Young participation rate (A) for Tees Valley(3) (Percentage) 23.0 23.0 24.0 24.0 
			  
			 Young participation rate (A) for England (Percentage) 29.2 28.8 29.2 29.9 
			 (1) Covers all students studying higher education courses at UK higher education institutions and other UK institutions, for example further education colleges. (2) Cohorts are reported to the nearest 10. (3) Young participation rates for constituencies are reported to the nearest per cent. Source: Higher Education Funding Council for England 
		
	
	The total numbers of undergraduate entrants to UK higher education institutions from Hartlepool parliamentary constituency and Tees Valley for each year since 2001/02 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Entrants to undergraduate courses( 1)  from Hartlepool parliamentary constituency and Tees Valley( 2) , 200/02 to 2005/06 
			   2001/02  2002/03  2003/04 
			  Age  Hartlepool  Tees Valley  Hartlepool  Tees Valley  Hartlepool  Tees Valley 
			 Aged 18 250 1,940 235 1,910 215 1,975 
			 Aged 19 90 810 115 820 105 825 
			 Aged19 and over(3) 710 6,745 760 6,705 810 6,415 
			 Total entrants 1,050 9,495 1,110 19,435 1,125 9,215 
		
	
	
		
			   2004/05  2005/06 
			  Age  Hartlepool  Tees Valley  Hartlepool  Tees Valley 
			 Aged 18 205 1,920 275 2,065 
			 Aged 19 95 765 115 845 
			 Aged19 and over(3) 845 7,095 875 7,150 
			 Total entrants 1,150 9,780 1,265 10,055 
			 (1) Covers all students studying higher education courses at UK higher education institutions only. Students studying higher education courses elsewhere such as further education colleges are excluded. (2) Tees Valley covers students from five local authorities: Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington. (3) Includes a very small number of students with unknown ages or ages under 18.  Note: Figures are based on the HESA standard registration population for entrants and have been rounded to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 
		
	
	The Department uses the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) to assess progress on increasing first-time participation of English students aged 18-30 in higher education towards 50 per cent: the latest provisional figure for 2005/06 is 43 per cent. The HEIPR is not calculated at parliamentary constituency level or local authority level.

Languages: GCSE

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of students achieved A*-C at GCSE in a modern language in the 10 per cent. of schools with the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest levels of free school meal entitlement in (i) 2006 and (ii) 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Mathematics: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills why it is proposed that there should no longer be a foundation and higher programme of study in mathematics at key stage 4 under the proposed changes to the curriculum in the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

Jim Knight: Mathematics is currently the only subject to have a tiered programme of study at key stage 4. Pupils should be entitled to access all learning relevant to the key stage at the level most appropriate to them. The current tiered curriculum creates an artificial ceiling of expectation for pupils following the foundation tier. The new single programme of study will enable teachers to personalise the curriculum to suit the needs of individual pupils, allowing them to engage with mathematics at all levels.

Nurseries: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many nursery places for three and four-year-olds there were in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: The available information is shown in the tables.
	
		
			  Number of part time funded places( 1,2,3 ) filled by three and four-year-olds, parliamentary constituency: Eastbourne, position in January each year 
			   Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			  Year  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 5)  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 6)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 7)  Total four-year-olds 
			 2004 120 720 840 670 330 1,000 
			 2005 130 750 880 620 350 960 
			 2006 110 700 810 660 300 960 
			 (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Prior to 2004, information on early education places was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) data collection exercise. These data were collected at local authority level, therefore, data for Eastbourne parliamentary constituency are not available. (4) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Schools Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Schools Census. (6) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Schools Census. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Schools Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of part time funded places12 filled by three and four-year-olds, local authority: East Sussex, position in January each year 
			   Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			  Year  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total four-year-olds 
			 1997 930 n/a 930 n/a n/a (5,6)4,800 
			 1998 610 n/a 610 n/a n/a (5,6)5,000 
			 1999 600 n/a 600 n/a n/a (5,6)5,300 
			 2000 570 (7)0 600 n/a n/a (5,6)5,200 
			 2001 590 (7)1,100 1,700 n/a n/a (5,6)5,000 
			 2002 570 (7)1,400 1,900 3,700 (5)1,600 5,300 
			 2003 550 (7)2,700 3,300 3,600 (8)1,600 5,200 
			 2004 470 (9)3,500 4,000 3,500 (10)1,600 5,100 
			 2005 470 (9)3,400 3,900 3,300 (10)1,500 4,800 
			 2006 430 (9)3,400 3,800 3,300 (10)1,400 4,700 
			 n/a = not available (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Schools Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Schools Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) For the years 1997-2001, four-year-old sub-national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary date collection exercise and the Schools Census. (9) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Schools Census. (10) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Schools Census. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 32/2006 'Provision for children under five years of age in EnglandJanuary 2006 (final)' in August, which is available on my Department's website at:
	ww.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Pupils: Absenteeism

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which five local education authorities have the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest unauthorised absence rates for secondary school pupils.

Jim Knight: The answer to this request is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Five Local Authorities with the Lowest Rates of Unauthorised Absence 
			  Local Authority( 1)  Unauthorised Absence 
			 London, City of 0.03 
			 Isles of Scilly 0.21 
			 Rutland 0.22 
			 Harrow 0.27 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 0.32 
			 (1) The figures by LA relate to maintained primary and secondary schools, excluding maintained special schools, academies and CTCs. 
		
	
	
		
			  Five Local Authorities with the Highest Rates of Unauthorised Absence 
			  Local Authority( 1)  Unauthorised Absence 
			 Tower Hamlets 1.61 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 1.63 
			 Bradford 1.66 
			 Manchester 1.84 
			 Greenwich 1.97 
			 (1) The figures by LA relate to maintained primary and secondary schools, excluding maintained special schools, academies and CTCs. 
		
	
	Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.
	Further information on pupil absence in schools can be found in the Statistical First Release, Pupil Absence in Schools in England: 2005/06 which can be found at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000679/index.shtml

Pupils: Absenteeism

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of half days were missed due to unauthorised absences among pupils in the 10 per cent. of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools with the (i) highest and (ii) lowest levels of free school meal entitlement in (A) 2006 and (B) 1997;
	(2)  how many pupils recorded at least one half day of unauthorised absence in the 10 per cent. of schools with the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest levels of free school meal entitlement in (i) 2006 and (ii) 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Schools: Clothing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the possible introduction of formal guidelines governing religious dress in schools.

Jim Knight: holding answer 28 March 2007
	The Department has not made an assessment of the possible introduction of formal guidelines on religious dress, as governing bodies determine school uniform and dress codes under powers conferred by the 1998 School Standards and Framework Act. We issue non-statutory guidance to schools, reminding them of their responsibilities under the Human Rights Act 1998 and anti-discrimination legislation. The guidance also states that schools should be sensitive to pupil's cultural and religious needs and differences and must ensure that their uniform policies are fair and reasonable.

Schools: Complaints

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what appeals process is in place for parents who wish to appeal against the  (a) content and  (b) operation of a school's complaints procedure.

Jim Knight: Parents with concerns about the content and operation of a school's complaints procedure can appeal to the Secretary of State. He has powers under Sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996 to intervene in cases where a governing body has acted unlawfully or 'unreasonably', which is defined as conduct which no sensible authority or governing body, acting with due appreciation of its legal responsibilities, would have decided to adopt. Section 496 empowers the Secretary of State, where he is satisfied that a governing body has acted unreasonably with respect to the exercise of a power or the performance of an duty, to give such directions as to the exercise of the power or performance of duty as appear to him expedient.

Secondary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which schools were used as case studies for personal development on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority secondary curriculum review website.

Jim Knight: All schools that submitted case studies to the secondary curriculum website were given the option of being identified by name.
	In the section of website that covers personal development, Gaynes School Language College was the only institution which chose to be named.

Train to Gain Programme

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of the participants in the Train to Gain programme working towards qualifications have received between  (a) between 0 and 20 hours,  (b) between 20 and 30 hours,  (c) between 30 and 40 hours,  (d) between 40 and 50 hours and  (e) between 50 and 60 hours training.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected or held centrally. The cost of collecting such information would be disproportionate and overly bureaucratic to collect from colleges and training providers.

Accidents: Fees and Charges

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the start date was of the NHS Injury Cost Recovery Scheme; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how much the NHS Injury Cost Recovery Scheme is expected to cover each year; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The regulations governing the operation of the national health service injury cost recovery (ICR) scheme came into force on 29 January 2007. The ICR scheme subsumes the existing road traffic accident (RTA) recovery scheme, and expands it to cover all cases where personal injury compensation is paid.
	The existing RTA recovery scheme brings in more than 120 million for the NHS each year. We expect that the expanded scheme will recover a further150 million a year once it is properly bedded down.

Acute Beds: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many acute hospital beds per head of population there were in each year since 1997 in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex.

Andy Burnham: The information is not available in the requested format. It is not possible to provide data for the number of beds at acute trusts by resident population or specific catchment areas. The following table contains the average daily number of acute hospital beds at East Sussex Hospitals National Health Service Trust.
	
		
			   Acute beds 
			 1996-97 753 
			 1997-98 746 
			 1998-99 715 
			 1999-2000 697 
			 2000-01 698 
			 2001-02 736 
			 2002-03 675 
			 2003-04 695 
			 2004-05 697 
			 2005-06 650 
			  Notes: East Sussex Hospitals NHS Eastbourne Hospitals NHS Trust and Hastings and Rother NHS Trust.  Source:  KH03

Advance Directives

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will establish a central database or register for living wills.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have demonstrated the importance it attaches to allowing people to make their own decisions about health care by including provisions for advance decisions to refuse treatment in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). Such advance decisions are currently sometimes called living wills. The Government's intention have always been to allow as much flexibility as possible for those making advance decisions and, therefore, there is no standard form for an advance decision. This makes issues around the formal registration of advance decisions complicated.
	The MCA code of practice recommends that people think about whether they want their health care record to reflect that they have made an advance decision. We will consider the practicalities of how this option might be realised within the context of the new national health service care records service.

Alcohol Abuse: Young People

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to reduce alcohol abuse by under 18 year olds; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Government are determined to reduce the harm caused to young people by alcohol misuse and is committed to educating young people on the very real harm it can cause. We are preventing the sale of alcohol to children by strengthening enforcement of the law on retailers and working with the industry to reduce under-age sales of alcoholwhile continuing to educate young people about the harms, both physical and social, of alcohol abuse. Alcohol education is now part of the national curriculum. Updated guidance makes it clear that alcohol education should be about sensible drinking and reducing harm. This includes encouraging schools to look at the influence of the media on attitudes towards alcohol.
	The Government have a high profile alcohol campaign, Know your Limits aimed at 18 to 24-year-old binge drinkers, warning them of the harms associated with binge drinking.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide a breakdown of how the25 million allocated to help improve category A ambulance response times has been spent; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of that expenditure.

Andy Burnham: Information on how the 25 million capital incentive scheme monies have been spent is not held centrally.
	Currently the clock starts for measuring response times when key information has been obtained from the caller. From April 2008, the clock will start earlier, when the call is connected to the ambulance control room. Response time standards will remain the same. The incentive scheme was designed to help ambulance trusts make the capital investments required to maintain response times from April 2008. It is therefore too early to make an assessment of the effectiveness of that expenditure.

Blood: Contamination

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what potential conflicts of interest were notified to the Permanent Secretary by departmental ministers between 1997 and 1999 in connection with the handling of compensation claims related to the supply of contaminated blood products by the NHS.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 13 March 2007
	 The Department has no record available relating to notification of conflicts of interest for the period in question. To look into this any further would be at disproportionate cost.

Body Mass Index

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's estimate is of the average body mass index in  (a) England,  (b) the East of England,  (c) Suffolk,  (d) Bedfordshire,  (e) Cambridgeshire,  (f) Essex,  (g) Hertfordshire and  (h) Norfolk.

Caroline Flint: Information is not available in the format requested. The most recent data available on the mean body mass index (BMI) for adults and children in England is from the 2005 Health Survey for England (HSE).
	Table 1 sets out the mean BMI for adults in England in 2005.
	
		
			  Table 1: Mean body mass index for adults( 1) , England 2005 
			   Percentage /number 
			 Men 26.9 
			 Women 26.9 
			   
			  Bases (unweighted)  
			 Men 2,930 
			 Women 3,409 
			   
			  Bases (weighted)  
			 Men 3,144 
			 Women 3,184 
			 (1) Aged 16 and over.  Source: Health Survey for England 2005: Headline figures. The Information Centre. 
		
	
	Table 2 sets out the mean BMI for children by age in England in 2005.
	
		
			  Table 2: Mean BMI for children by age, England 2005 
			  Percentage/number 
			   0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 
			 Boys(1)   17.2 17.3 17.1 17.6 16.8 16.9 16.9 
			 Girls(1)   (2)[17.3] 17.0 16.8 16.6 16.3 17.0 17.2 
			   
			  Bases (unweighted)  
			 Boys 4 25 62 56 73 76 64 85 86 
			 Girls 14 30 38 71 88 89 76 104 71 
			   
			  Bases (weighted)  
			 Boys 4 25 56 49 68 72 65 92 82 
			 Girls 14 30 31 60 77 80 67 94 71 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage/number 
			   9  10  11  12  13  14  15  Total 
			 Boys(1) 17.5 17.9 18.5 19.2 20.2 20.6 21.9 18.4 
			 Girls(1) 18.3 18.3 20.0 19.8 21.5 21.8 23.0 18.7 
			  
			  Bases (unweighted) 
			 Boys 85 87 70 88 83 71 77 1,091 
			 Girls 71 81 79 100 80 67 93 1,154 
			  
			  Bases (weighted) 
			 Boys 74 84 75 95 91 82 97 1,111 
			 Girls 80 82 71 97 86 70 97 1,107 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for children aged 0 and 1 are not given due small sample sizes. 2. The unweighted sample base for this category is below 50.   Source: The Health Survey for England 2005: Headline Figures. The Information Centre. 
		
	
	Table 3 sets out the recent data available on the mean BMI for adults in the East England Government office region (GOR) from HSE 2003. Data on the mean BMI for children in East of England is unavailable. Information on the mean BMI for adults and children in Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Norfolk is also not available.
	
		
			  Table 3: Mean body mass index for adults( 1) , by East England Government office region, 2003 
			   Percentage/number 
			 Men 27.2 
			 Women 26.9 
			   
			  Bases (unweighted)  
			 Men 728 
			 Women 825 
			   
			  Bases (weighted)  
			 Men 755 
			 Women 735 
			 (1 )Aged 16 and over.  Source: Health Survey for England 2003. Department of Health.

Breast Cancer: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when she expects breast cancer screening services to be resumed at the North London Breast Screening Service;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of what the likely backlog will be when screening resumes at the North London Breast Screening Service;
	(3)  for what reasons the decision was taken to suspend breast cancer screening services at the North London Breast Screening Service.

Rosie Winterton: I am advised that the temporary suspension was due to system process errors that were brought to light during a routine audit being carried out by the Quality Assurance Service. The audit flagged up that women were not invited for further assessments, in line with service protocols, following their mammogram. All the women affected received a normal mammogram (i.e. no abnormalities appeared on the mammogram). However, the women had mentioned other possible symptoms during their appointment and guidelines specify that further assessment should take place.
	I understand that Enfield Primary Care Trust is currently working towards the completion of detailed plans to reopen the service during April. The service has been subject to an external review by the National Breast Screening Service Quality Assurance Team. The implementation of all the recommendations arising from the review continues to form a key part of the planning process. The trust will be able to confirmthe precise arrangements for resuming the service after the review team has completed its work and is expected to have happened by the end of March.
	The trust with their partner primary care trustshave an evolving action plan in place for the recommencement of screening and to clear the backlog, including investigating arrangements with other potential service providers and their ability to assist with the backlog.
	The unit is currently developing a full plan to facilitate the recommencement of screening services. Once this is complete the trust will be able to advise on estimates. It will also depend on whether arrangements can be put into place to screen women at other sites across London and the surrounding area. Women who have been waiting longest will be seen on a priority basis.
	Approximately 3,500 women per month are normally seen by the service and it is estimated that approximately 10,000 women would have been affected by the suspension of the service.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women aged between 50 and 70 years are required to wait more than three years between breast cancer screenings in  (a) Surrey Primary Care Trust and  (b) England; what estimate her Department has made of the attendance take-up rate of women aged between 50 and 70 years attending breast cancer screenings in each area; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Surrey Primary Care Trust is covered by the breast screening unit based at the Jarvis Centre, Guildford. According to figures from January to March 2006, the average interval between screens for women at: the Jarvis Centre was 33 months and 92 per cent. of women were screened within 36 months of their previous screen. In England the average interval between screens for the same period was 36 months, with 68 per cent. of women being screened within36 months of their previous screen.
	We take the issue of the 36-month standard between screens very seriously. That is why Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director, wrote to the chief executives of all 10 strategic health authoritiesin England on 9 February 2007 highlighting the importance of maintaining the 36-month interval.

Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Health Care Commission has made of  (a) the quality of care delivered at Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre and  (b) the level of patient satisfaction with the delivery of care.

Andy Burnham: As the independent inspection body for both the national health service and independent healthcare, the Healthcare Commission (HCC) is not part of the Department. Therefore, the information requested is not held centrally. However, information on the reviews of services undertaken by the HCC are available on their website at: www.healthcarecommission.org.uk
	All Independent Sector providers, including the Midlands Treatment Centre located in Burton, are required to achieve HCC approval before services are commenced and to meet subsequent reviews. We can confirm that the Midlands Treatment Centre did receive HCC approval for the start of services inJuly 2006.

Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what impact the Burton independent sector treatment centre has had on  (a) capacity and  (b) waiting times in Staffordshire hospitals in each year since it was established.

Andy Burnham: The Midlands Treatment Centre, located in Burton, has been able to provide additional surgical capacity in the Staffordshire area while offering patients a wider choice of provider for their treatment.
	It is also believed that the facility has helped local national health service hospitals in achieving their maximum waiting time targets. As at January 2007, no patients in the Stoke on Trent, North Staffordshire and the South Staffordshire primary care trusts were waiting in excess of 26 weeks for inpatient treatment or 13 weeks for an outpatient appointment.

Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what role Burton independent sector treatment centre has in training medical staff;
	(2)  what staff the Burton independent sector treatment centre employs; and from where they were recruited.

Andy Burnham: The Midlands National Health Service Treatment Centre, situated in Burton, provides training and supervision to its medical staff. The training includes continuing professional development, infection control, equipment and information management and technology.
	Junior doctors work in the treatment centre alongside consultants as part of their training programme. The consultants remain responsible for clinical care and the training delivered as required. The agreement is that the direction and management of training of clinical trainees largely replicates current NHS training processes.
	The treatment centre employs 179 staff (headcount), the majority of which were recruited from the United Kingdom.

Cancer

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is sponsored by her Department to assess the effectiveness of dichloroacetate in attacking cancer cells.

Caroline Flint: None. The Medical Research Council (MRC), one of the main agencies through which the Government supports medical and clinical research, is currently funding a broad portfolio of cancer research, including early stage trials and basic and underpinning research. The MRC has not received or considered any proposals to assess the effectiveness of dichloroacetate in attacking cancer cells. The Council always welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of biomedical research and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding.

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health why Torbay Primary Care Trust (PCT) reimbursed care home fees to Mr. Mike Pearce; what precedent has been set by the PCT's decision; what estimate she has made of the liabilities of the NHS for future repayments of denied continuing care funding; what framework Torbay used to re-assess the case; and what the total NHS expenditure was in England in 2005-06 on  (a) care homes and  (b) care home places for those with Alzheimer's disease.

Caroline Flint: Following the Health Service Ombudsman's report NHS Funding for Long Term Care of Older and Disabled People, the national health service has carried out retrospective reviews of over 12,000 cases where fully funded NHS care was denied, dating back to 1996. The case of Mr. Pearce's mother was one of these retrospective reviews of her eligibility for continuing care. This retrospective review found that Mrs. Pearce was wrongly denied NHS funding for her care, and so Torbay Care Trust reimbursed care home fees for the period of time when they considered they should have been paying for her care.
	The care trust will continue to take the same approach to any other retrospective reviews they have to conduct, but no national precedent has been set.
	In 2004, primary care trusts (PCTs) estimated that they would pay approximately 180 million in repayment as a consequence of the retrospective reviews of cases following the Ombudsman's report.
	Torbay Care Trust used the strategic health authority's (SHA) eligibility criteria, which have been reviewed in accordance with guidance issued by the Department since the Coughlan and Grogan judgments. In their consideration of Mrs. Pearce's case, they used the draft decision support tool, published as part of the Department's consultation in 2006 , to help them gather information about Mrs. Pearce's needs. This information was then tested against the criteria already in place in the SHA.
	Further clarification for PCTs about redress, in cases where it has been found that NHS funding was wrongly withheld, was contained in guidance published by the Department in response to the publication of thejoint report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Parliamentary Ombudsman) andthe Health Service Ombudsman for England, Retrospective continuing care funding and redress, on 14 March 2007.
	The information requested on NHS expenditure on care home and care home places is not held centrally.

Cataracts: Surgery

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for cataract operations in  (a) North Yorkshire,  (b) County Durham and  (c) England in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many cataract operations were cancelled and re-arranged following an initial date for the operation being given in the same period.

Rosie Winterton: The average waiting times for cataract operations in the former strategic health authorities for County Durham and Tees Valley and North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire in 2005-06 are given in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Strategic health authority  Median time waited (days) 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 62 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 75 
			 England 69 
			  Notes: 1. Data are for finished admission episodes, i.e. the first period of in-patient care under one consultant with one Healthcare provider. 2. Time waited is the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates.  Source:  Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	The Department does not collect data on numbers of cancelled operations for individual procedures such as cataract operations.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  further to her Department's press release on the bowel cancer screening programme of 2 August 2005, how the figure of 37.5 million of expenditure willbe broken down over the first two years of the programme's implementation;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1190W, on bowel cancer screening, what funding earmarked for the programme has been included in the Strategic Health Authority bundle for 2007-08.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 29 March 2007
	 Funding for the national health service bowel cancer screening programme is included in the strategic health authority (SHA) bundle, that incorporates a number of budgets formally managed directly by the Department.
	Around 10 million was made available for wave one of the programme in 2006-07. The value of the SHA bundle for 2007-08 is 6,945.78 million, and was announced in the NHS operating framework thatwas published on 11 December 2006 to the NHS.27.5 million was included in the SHA bundle for the bowel screening programme. Allocations are made direct to SHAs, and they manage the distribution of funds among the different programmes, including the bowel cancer screening programme, taking account of local circumstances.
	This is an ambitious project and the government is committed to ensuring that the necessary funding is available to ensure the full implementation of the bowel cancer screening programme.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to her Department's press release on the bowel cancer screening programme of 2 August 2005, what steps she will take to assess whether the target for25 per cent. coverage of England by the end of 2006-07 has been met; and what estimate she has made of the proportion of England currently covered by the programme.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 29 March 2007
	 We started the roll out of the programme slightly later than originally intended. However, we took all the practical steps possible to prepare for the roll out and to minimise the delay. All five programme hubs in England are now operational, and 15 of the eventual 90 to 100 local screening centres opened in 2006-07. These cover 49 out of 152 primary care trusts in England, covering a population of 13 million, around 26 per cent. of the English population. It is for strategic health authorities working in partnership with their primary care trusts and local stakeholders to organise and deliver services for their local populations. We expect around half of the local screening centres to be operational by March 2008, with full overage in England by December 2009.
	The bowel cancer screening programme is an ambitious project, and one of the first of its kind in Europe. When fully implemented, it will screen around 2 million men and women and detect around 3,000 bowel cancer every year. We are committed to implementing this important programme.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will extend the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme to those aged  (a) 70 and over and  (b) between 50 and 60.

Rosie Winterton: The bowel cancer screening programme is beginning by inviting men and women aged 60 to 69 to be screened as the risk of bowel cancer increases with age, with over 80 per cent. of bowel cancers arising in people who are 60 or over.
	The successful national health service pilot study also showed that men and women in their 60s were more likely to take up their invitations for screening than men and women in their 50s.
	Within the programme, men and women aged 70 and over are be able to self-refer for screening every two years.
	When we have rolled out the programme to the whole of England, we will make an assessment of whatever next steps may be required, including looking at the age range.

Colorectal Cancer: Surgery

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many rectal cancer operations were carried out by the NHS in each of the last three years; and what the cost of such operations was in each year.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of operations relating to rectal and colon cancer in the last three years for which figures are available, is shown in the table.
	Information on the cost of these operations is not available.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) with an operation and with a primary diagnosis of colon and rectum insitu and secondary neoplasms between 2003-04 and 2005-06 
			   FCEs 
			 2003-04 130,451 
			 2004-05 129,357 
			 2005-06 136,979 
			  Notes: 1. Diagnosis (primary diagnosis): The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. 2. Finished consultant episode (FCE): An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. 3. Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 4. Main operation: The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, e.g. time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.  Source: (HES) The Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	The following ICD-10 diagnosis codes were used to look for procedures in the primary procedure field:
	C18 Malignant neoplasm of colon
	C18.0 Caecum
	C18.1 Appendix
	C18.2 Ascending colon
	C18.3 Hepatic flexure
	C18.4 Transverse colon
	C18.5 Splenic flexure
	C18.6 Descending colon
	C18.7 Sigmoid colon
	C18.8 Overlapping lesion of colon
	C18.9 Colon, unspecified
	C19 Malignant neoplasm of rectosigmoid junction
	C20 Malignant neoplasm of rectum
	C21 Malignant neoplasm of anus and anal canal
	C21.0 Anus, unspecified
	C21.1 Anal canal
	C21.2 Cloacogenic zone
	C21.8 Overlapping lesion of rectum, anus and anal canal
	The following ICD-10 codes relate to only the rectum
	C19 Malignant neoplasm of rectosigmoid junction
	C20 Malignant neoplasm of rectum
	C21.8 Overlapping lesion of rectum, anus and anal canal
	 Secondary neoplasms
	C75.5 Secondary malignant neoplasm of large intestine and rectum
	 Insitu neoplasms
	D01 Carcinoma in situ of other and unspecified digestive organs
	D01.0 Colon
	D01.1 Rectosigmoid junction
	D01.2 Rectum
	D01.3 Anus and anal canal

Community Care: Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) local authorities and  (b) primary care trusts spent on social care for people in (i) their own homes and (ii) care homes in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The two tables provide information on the gross current expenditure from councils with social services responsibilities (CSSRs) for residential care, home care and other community-based services for both adults and children in England for the years 2001-02 to 2005-06. Expenditure data on social care by primary care trusts is not centrally available.
	
		
			  Gross current expenditure on residential care, home care and other community-based services for adults, England 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  000 
			   Residential care( 1)  Home care  Other community-based services 
			 2001-02 5,393,700 1,690,900 1,593,400 
			 2002-03 6,314,400 1,795,800 1,690,000 
			 2003-04 6,313,900 1,982,100 1,847,500 
			 2004-05 6,740,100 2,220,000 2,048,400 
			 2005-06 7,042,900 2,486,400 2,258,600 
			  Note: From 2002-03 onwards the data on adults includes clients that transferred to CSSR support on 8 April 2002 who were formerly in receipt of higher rates of income support under the DWP preserved rights (PR) scheme.  Source: PSS EX1, Information Centre. 
		
	
	
		
			  Gross current expenditure on residential care, home care and other community-based services for children, England 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  000 
			   Residential care  Home care  Other community-based services 
			 2001-02 815,200 21,100 1,469,100 
			 2002-03 879,400 24,500 1,690,200 
			 2003-04 982,400 27,300 1,944,200 
			 2004-05 1,063,900 31,200 2,190,600 
			 2005-06 1,103,600 32,700 2,366,700

Dental Services: West Sussex

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there were in  (a) Arundel and South Downs constituency and  (b) West Sussex in (i) 1997 and (ii) each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Table one shows information on the number of national health service dentists as at 31 March 1997 and 2004 to 2006 for the areas requested, based on the old contractual arrangements.
	The latest workforce information, as at 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006, is based on the new contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, and is available at primary care trust (PCT), strategic health authority (SHA) and England level. This information is provided in table two. To provide these data at constituency level area would be at disproportionate cost. Data based on the old contractual arrangements are not directly comparable to those under the new contractual arrangements.
	Information is taken from the following reports:
	NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England:31 March 2006
	NHS Dental Statistics for England Quarter 3, 31 December 2006.
	Both reports are available in the Library.
	
		
			  Table 1: General dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS): Numbers of NHS dentists in the specified constituency and PCTs as at 31 March each year 
			   1997  2004  2005  2006 
			 Arundel and South Downs constituency 29 23 23 22 
			  
			 Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT 90 120 138 154 
			 Crawley PCT 48 65 83 99 
			 Horsham and Chanctonbury PCT 51 69 72 69 
			 Mid-Sussex PCT 67 110 118 129 
			 Western Sussex PCT 67 88 95 98 
			  Notes: 1. Dentists consist of principals, assistants and trainees. Information on NHS dentistry in the community dental service, in hospitals and in prisons is excluded. 2. A dentist can provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed within the contract. In some cases an NHS dentist may be listed to carry out NHS work but may not do so for a given period. 3. Information is based on NHS dentists on PCT lists from the BSA.  4. PCT boundaries are as at 30 September 2006. 5. The PCTs listed are those that now form West Sussex PCT as a result of the 1 October 2006 PCT boundary changes. 6. Constituency boundaries may have changed over time therefore these data may not be directly comparable.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care. NHS Business Services Authority (BSA). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Numbers of NHS dentists (performers) in the specified PCTs as at 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006 
			   2006 
			   30 June  30 September  31 December 
			 West Sussex PCT 477 478 474 
			  Notes: 1. A performer is defined as a dentist who has been set up on the BSA payments online (POL) system by the PCT to work under an open contract during the relevant time period. 2. Data provided are a count of the individuals listed as performers on open contracts within a PCT, including orthodontists. 3. A dentist can provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed within the contract. In some cases an NHS dentist may be listed to carry out NHS work but may not do so for a given period. 4. Data consists of performers in general dental services (GDS), personal dental services (PDS) and trust-led dental services. 5. PCT boundaries are as at 1 October 2006. 6. The PCTs listed are those that now form West Sussex PCT as a result of the 1 October 2006 PCT boundary changes. 7. Dentists will be counted more than once if they have contracts in more than one PCT.  Source : The Information Centre for health and social care. NHS Business Services Authority.

Dental Services: West Sussex

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) adults and  (b) children were registered with an NHS dentist in (i) the Arundel and South Downs constituency and (ii) West Sussex in (A) 1997 and (B) each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Table 1 shows information on the number of adult and child patients registered with a national health service dentist for the areas requested as at 31 March 1997 and 2004 to 2006, based on the old contractual arrangements and is under the PCT boundaries as at 30 September 2006.
	Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, registration data is no longer collected centrally. Instead, there is a new measure on patients seen within the previous 24 months. The latest information on total numbers of patients seen within the previous 24 months is provided in table 2. Information in table 2 is under the primary care trust (PCT) boundaries as at 1 October 2006. To provide these data at constituency level area would be at disproportionate cost.
	Information is taken from the following reports:
	NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England:31 March 2006
	NHS Dental Statistics for England Quarter 3, 31 December 2006.
	Both reports are available in the Library.
	
		
			  Tab le 1: General dental services (G DS) and personal dental services (PDS): Numbers of adult and child patients registered with an NHS dentist in the specified constituency and PCTs as at 31 March each year 
			   1997  2004  2005  2006 
			   Adults  Children  Adults  Children  Adults  Children  Adults  Children 
			 Arundel and South Downs constituency 26,321 9,942 17,133 8,665 16,308 8,076 16,195 7,948 
			 Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT 95,517 29,767 72,816 31,742 71,529 31,386 76,564 32,367 
			 Crawley PCT 25,746 14,778 21,873 15,155 20,951 14,168 28,534 16,908 
			 Horsham and Chanctonbury PCT 47,142 18,635 33,141 16,915 34,486 16,953 37,429 17,847 
			 Mid-Sussex PCT 56,444 22,810 48,105 24,542 45,742 23,779 47,790 23,677 
			 Western Sussex PCT 72,279 23,186 71,900 27,057 68,379 25,854 63,639 24,716 
			  Notes: 1. Child patient registrations are aged 0 to 17 and adults are aged 18 and over. 2. PCT boundaries are as at 30 September 2006. 3. The PCTs listed are those that now form West Sussex PCT as a result of the 1 October 2006 PCT boundary changes. 4. Constituency boundaries may have changed over time therefore these data may not be directly comparable.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care. NHS Business Services Authority. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of patients seen in the previous 24 months ending 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006 in the specified PCT 
			   30 June 2006  30 September 2006  31 December 2006 
			   Adult  Child  Adult  Child  Adult  Child 
			 West Sussex PCT 292,188 126,918 290,952 126,826 290,443 126,953 
			  Notes: 1. PCT boundaries are as at 1 October 2006. 2. Patients have been identified by using surname, first initial, gender and date of birth. 3. The age of the patient as at the last day of the 24 month period is used to allocate between adult or child in the most recent form processed. 4. Child patient registrations are aged 0-17 and adults are aged 18 and over.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care. NHS Business Services Authority.

Departmental Contracts

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts her Department has with  (a) Alliance Medical,  (b) Amicus Healthcare,  (c) BUPA Healthcare,  (d) Capio Healthcare,  (e) Clincienta,  (f) Mercury Health,  (g) Nations Healthcare,  (h) Netcare Healthcare,  (i) Nuffield Hospitals,  (j) Partnership Health Group and  (k) UKSH; what the purpose of the contract is in each case; how long each contract is for; and how much she estimates will have been paid in total via these contracts in 2006-07.

Andy Burnham: Contracts for the independent sector and the purpose of each is shown in the table. Contracts are generally for five years.
	
		
			  Provider  Contract 
			 Capio One contract to provide Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) services 
			 Alliance Medical One contract to provide mobile MRI services 
			 Amicus Healthcare None 
			 Bupa Healthcare A provider through the Independent Sector Extended Choice Network (IS ECN)1 
			 Mercury Health One contract to provide ISTCs services one contract for diagnostic services. 
			 Nations Healthcare Two contracts to provide ISTC services 
			 Netcare Healthcare Two contracts to provide NHS Walk In Centres with a commuter focus one contract to provide ISTC services one contract to provide mobile ophthalmic services 
			 Nuffield Hospitals A provider through the Independent Sector Extended Choice Network (IS ECN)(1) 
			 Partnership Health Group Four contracts to provide ISTC services 
			 UKSH One contract to provide ISTC services 
			 (1 )IS ECN providers are members of a framework and are paid on a per procedure basis and do not have five year contracts. 
		
	
	Financial information on individual contracts is commercially sensitive, the total value paid on all the ISTC programme contracts in 2006-07 is 216 million.

Departments: Work Permits

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many work permits were applied for by  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: The Department applied for one work permit, in 2005.
	The Medicines and Healthcare Regulations Products Regulatory Agency, an executive agency of the Department, applied for two work permits in the last five years one in 2003 and one in 2006.
	NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency, an executive agency of the Department, applied for a total two work permitsone applied for in 2003 and one in 2007.

Diabetes: Screening

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered diabetics had access to blood testing strips for home testing in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Data is not collected on the numbers of registered people with diabetes who have access to blood testing strips.
	The table shows the number of blood glucose monitoring strips dispensed in England from 1997 to 2006(1).
	
		
			   Items 
			 1997 1,971,463 
			 1998 2,438,640 
			 1999 2,857,441 
			 2000 3,372,897 
			 2001 3,987,930 
			 2002 4,702,845 
			 2003 5,077,542 
			 2004 5,330,313 
			 2005 5,553,611 
			 2006(1) 4,263,166 
			 (1) 2006figures are for the first nine months only 
		
	
	 PCA Data
	Prescription information is taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA), and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. Also included are prescriptions written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions.
	 Prescription Items
	Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item. A person with diabetes may get more than one prescription item each year.

Drugs: Internet

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the availability of  (a) phentermine,  (b) diethylpropiom,  (c) reductil and  (d) orlistat from internet suppliers; what mechanisms are in place to promote appropriate medical supervision for those obtaining and using drugs through the internet; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency routinely monitor medicines being offered for sale on the Internet and is concerned about the increase in the online availability of medicines, including slimming pills.
	In the United Kingdom (UK), there are strict legal controls on the retail sale, supply and advertisement of medicinal products. These controls apply without distinction to medicines sold or supplied through Internet transactions and mail order.
	Slimming drugs are, generally speaking, classified as prescription only medicines (POM) and are available only after a consultation with a healthcare practitioner. Products purchased from Internet sites cannot be guaranteed for their quality, safety and efficacy, nor can their effects on patients be monitored. For these reasons, the supply of POMs is strictly controlled in the UK and breaches in regulatory requirements are investigated.
	Additionally, specific information relating to slimming products and other medicines consideredto be at risk of counterfeiting are circulated to stakeholders in order to increase vigilance through more focused surveillance and inspections.
	Mechanisms for promoting suitable medical supervision however, are matters of professional practice and are not covered by medicines legislation.

Drugs: Licensing

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the National Institute for Clinical Health and Excellence to publish a technical appraisal on naltextrone as a treatment for relapse prevention; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 27 March 2007
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), published a technical appraisal on naltrexone as a treatment for relapse prevention on 24 January 2007.
	The National Treatment Agency (NTA) is supporting the Department in developing an implementation strategy for the dissemination of the NICE technology appraisal on naltrexone and their other current work relating to drug treatment. This strategy will seek to ensure that complementary initiatives undertaken by NICE and the NTA are disseminated in a coherent and co-ordinated way to inform the commissioners and providers of drug treatment.

Drugs: Side Effects

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Yellow Card system for reporting adverse reactions to drugs; how many incidents were reported in each of the past three years; what estimate she has made of the level of under-reporting in each of the last three years; and what steps she is taking to improve matters;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the merits of introducing a requirement for doctors to report adverse reactions to  (a) licensed and  (b) unlicensed drugs;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the merits of extending the remit of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in order to allow it to monitor adverse reactions to unlicensed drugs.

Caroline Flint: The Yellow Card Scheme is used to collect reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with any marketed medicinal product, including those available on prescription or purchased from a pharmacy, or a general retail outlet. The scheme encompasses unlicensed as well as licensed products, including herbal products.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) are continually working to increase the quality and quantity of reports received via the Yellow Card Scheme.
	The following table shows the number of reports received in the past three years.
	
		
			   Number of reports 
			 2006 23,992 
			 2005 22,127 
			 2004 20,037 
		
	
	In 2003, an independent review of the Yellow Card Scheme strongly endorsed the value and importance of the Scheme for public health and the benefit of patients. The MHRA is currently developing a strategy in consultation with the CHM to build on these recommendations in order to further strengthen reporting to the Yellow Card Scheme.
	It is recognised that voluntary spontaneous reporting systems such as the Yellow Card Scheme are associated with an unknown level of under-reporting. It has been estimated that 10 per cent. of serious ADRs and between two and four per cent. of non-serious ADRs are reported and that serious reactions are five times more likely to be reported than non-serious reactions.
	The value of introducing mandatory reporting of suspected ADRs by healthcare professionals has been considered on several occasions, most recently during the independent review of the Yellow Card Scheme. Available evidence indicates that there is no clear increase in rates of reporting in countries with mandatory reporting when compared with those where reporting is voluntary. Furthermore there would be practical difficulties in enforcing mandatory reporting. The Independent Review did not recommend a mandatory system for suspected ADR reporting in the United Kingdom.

Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) hospital nurses,  (b) junior hospital doctors and  (c) other nurses were employed in the Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 23 March 2007
	The information is not collected centrally in the form requested. However, the table shows doctors in training alongside nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff figures as at 30 September 2005.
	
		
			  Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Doctors in training and nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff within Essex Rivers Healthcare National Health Service Trust 
			  Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust  as  at 30 September 2005  Number (headcount) 
			 All medical and dental staff 330 
			  Of which:  
			 Doctors in training 170 
			 All Nursing staff 1,531 
			  Of which:  
			 Qualified nurses 1,100 
			  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care medical and dental workforce census. The Information Centre for health and social care non-medical workforce census.

General Practitioners: Standards

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets for productivity improvement from GP practices she has set for the next three years.

Andy Burnham: As part of the General Medical Services contract for 2006-07, the BMA and NHS Employers (on behalf of the Department) agreed that primary medical care contractors should be subject to the same level of efficiency improvement placed on other parts of the national health services. This remains our expectation.

HC1 Form

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) people aged under 25 years and  (b) higher education students applied for assistance with their health costs through the HC1 form in 2005; and how many people from each category received such help.

Caroline Flint: The following table provides an estimate of those claiming for help with their health costs via the HC1 form (based on 2005-06 data as figures are not available for the calendar year 2005).
	Those in receipt of IHC2 certificates receive full help consisting of free prescriptions, sight tests, NHS dental treatment, wigs and fabric supports and travel to receive national health service treatment under the care of a consultant. The HC3 certificate provides partial help with the cost of the above, with the exception of prescriptions which are not free.
	
		
			   Under 25  All students including those under 25 
			 HC1 claims 136,815 100,860 
			 HC2 entitlements 72,731 57,213 
			 HC3 entitlements 57,599 43,647 
			  Source: Prescription Pricing Division of the NHS Business Services Authority

Health Professions: Foreign Workers

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) doctors and  (b) nurses recruited to the NHS from outside the European Union (i) were found guilty of malpractice in each of the last five years and (ii) are being investigated for malpractice.

Andy Burnham: The Department does not collect this information centrally. The General Medical Council and the General Nursing and Midwifery Council hold the register of doctors and nurses who practice in the United Kingdom, and make decisions on investigations and erasure from their registers.

Health: Irish

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to target the Irish community with culturally appropriate health promotion strategies in the areas of  (a) smoking cessation,  (b) healthy diet and  (c) exercise.

Caroline Flint: Smoking cessation campaigns are predominantly targeted at the general population of smokers, and the highest prevalence group of 25-44 year olds in lower socio-economic groups (C2DE). We develop our campaigns with appropriate messaging for this group based on insights into their smoking behaviour, with additional campaign materials developed for communities where cultural factors affect the accessibility of these messages. There has been no evidence as of yet suggested by research that members of the Irish community in our target audience will be less receptive to the core national campaign messages, or experience accessibility issues. Individual PCTs that have substantial Irish communities within their catchment area may run targeted public health campaigns for this group.
	On healthy diet and exercise, we will be rolling outa series of initiatives linking in with partner organisations across the public sector, the food manufacturing and retail sector and with voluntary organisations to support families live a healthy life based on a healthy diet and increased physically activity. The Healthy Living strategy is about providing support when and where it is required and in a way that people will respond to.
	The most extensive survey on behaviours of minority ethnic groups ever carried out in England was published in April 2006. The Health Survey for England 2004 interviewed over 6,000 adults from black and minority ethnic communities including Irish communities. The proportion of Irish adults who met the five-a-day recommendation was 26 per cent. of Irish men and 32 per cent. of Irish women compared with 23 per cent. and 27 per cent. of the general population.
	On exercise the proportion of Irish adults who reported physical activity rates at the chief medical officer's recommended level of at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week was 39 per cent. for men and29 per cent. for women compared with the figures for the general population of 37 per cent. for men and25 per cent. for women.
	A copy of the survey is available in the Library.

Health: Regulatory Impact Assessment

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1005-06W, on Health: Regulatory Impact Assessment, on which items of legislation for which  (a) her Department and  (b) other Government Departments are responsible health impact assessments have been incorporated into the regulatory impact assessment process.

Andy Burnham: The specific information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) for legislation made since health impact assessments were incorporated into the RIA framework are availablein the Library and on Government Departments' websites.

Hepatitis

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) Hepatitis A,  (b) Chronic Hepatitis B,  (c) Hepatitis C,  (d) Hepatitis D,  (e) Hepatitis E,  (f) Hepatitis F,  (g) Hepatitis G and  (h) Hepatitis H were reported in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is provided in the following tables.
	
		
			   Number of reports 
			 1997 1,272 
			 1998 1,058 
			 1999 1,357 
			 2000 1,009 
			 2001 785 
			 2002 1,338 
			 2003 984 
			 2004 649 
			 2005 444 
			 2006 268 
			  Note:  2006 data are provisional, and numbers are likely to increase.  Source:  Health Protection Agency (HPA) 
		
	
	 (b) Chronic Hepatitis B
	Data on chronic hepatitis B are not collected.
	Data are collected on laboratory reports of acute Hepatitis B. Surveillance of the incidence of acute infection is used to monitor trends, to evaluate the Hepatitis B immunisation programme and to inform the development of national and local control policies.
	 (c) Hepatitis C
	
		
			  Hepatitis C laboratory reports, England 1997 to 2006 
			   Number of reports 
			 1997 2,652 
			 1998 4,098 
			 1999 5,294 
			 2000 4,917 
			 2001 4,675 
			 2002 5,590 
			 2003 6,566 
			 2004 7,993 
			 2005 7,579 
			 2006 5,842 
			  Note:  2006 data are provision, and numbers are likely to increase  Source:  Health Protection Agency 
		
	
	 (d) Hepatitis D
	Data on Hepatitis D are not collected. Hepatitis D is a defective virus that replicates only in the presence of the Hepatitis B virus.
	 (e) Hepatitis E
	Information is available from 2003 to 2006
	
		
			  Laboratory reports of Hepatitis E, England and Wales 2003 to 2006 
			   Number of reports 
			 2003 125 
			 2004 150 
			 2005 329 
			 2006 292 
			  Source:  Health Protection Agency 
		
	
	 (f) Hepatitis F
	Hepatitis F is a hypothetical hepatitis virus. Several hepatitis F virus candidates emerged in the 1990s. Further investigations failed to confirm the existence of the virus, and it was delisted as a cause of infectious hepatitis.
	 (g) Hepatitis G
	Data are not routinely collected on hepatitis G. Extensive worldwide investigation has failed to identify any association between the hepatitis G virus and hepatitis, and its clinical significance is unknown.
	 (h) Hepatitis H
	There is currently no virus designated as hepatitis H.

Hospital Beds

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what benchmarking her Department has undertaken of comparative lengths of hospital stay  (a) between hospitals in England and  (b) between hospitals in England and those in other countries.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 29 March 2007
	Data on length of stay by hospital in England is published annually by The Information Centre for health and social care and can be found at www.hesonline.org. The median length of stay in hospital during 2005-06 was two days. Variation will reduce as the national health service continues to make progress towards 18 weeks.
	The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publishes annual data which shows that average length of stay in the United Kingdom compares favourably with those in many other countries. This data can be obtained from OECD.

Hospitals: Admissions

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency readmissions there were in each quarter since the quarter ending June 2002; and what percentage of patients was readmitted as an emergency in each quarter.

Andy Burnham: Currently the best computations of readmission rates are those released by the National Centre for Health Outcomes Development (NCHOD). They publish their data on a website at www.nchod.nhs.uk. Presently there are three years data from 2001-02 to 2003-04 at primary care trust (PCT) level. There are plans to produce an eight-year series up to 2005-06 at PCT and trusts level. Other analyses could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Hospitals: Consultants

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts in  (a) England and  (b) each region have restricted consultant-to-consultant referrals in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The information is not available centrally as this is a matter for the national health service locally. Activity is agreed and monitoredlocally through contracts between co-ordinating commissioners and providers.
	The Department published on 14 December 2006 good practice Care and resource utilisation: ensuring appropriateness of care that outlines some techniques that aim to ensure a more effective initial assessment, resulting in improved patient progress through the system and thereby reducing delays. The techniques are owned and agreed by clinicians, working in partnership across primary and secondary care, to deliver integrated, well-designed services. The document is available in the Library and at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_063265

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of people in  (a) Houghton and Washington East constituency and  (b) Sunderland city council area were waiting more than (i) three months, (ii) six months and (iii) a year for an NHS treatment for (A) cancer and (B) heart problems in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Data on the time patients are waiting for cancer treatment is not collected centrally.
	Information is collected on performance against the cancer waiting times standards of a maximum wait of 31 days from diagnosis to first cancer treatment and a maximum wait of 62 days from urgent referral to first cancer treatment, which were introduced for allcancer patients from December 2005. Data giving performance against these standards for the period July to September 2006 shows that patients at the City Hospitals Sunderland National Health Service Foundation Trust achieved 99.4 per cent. and 96.7 per cent. respectively.
	More detailed information and historic statistics for these standards and the cancer two week wait has been placed in the Library and are available online at:
	www.performance.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits/
	Cardiology waiting times at the City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust have been set out in the table shown.
	
		
			  Provider based inpatient cardiology figures, City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust 
			   Month  Total waiting  Number waiting over 13 weeks  Percentage of total waiting list waiting over 13 weeks  Number w aiting over 26 weeks  Percentage of t otal waiting list waiting over 26 weeks 
			 1997 March 6 0 0 0 0 
			 1998 March 1 0 0 0 0 
			 1999 March 10 6 60 2 20.0 
			 1990 March 44 4 9.1 1 2.3 
			 2001 March 85 9 10.6 0 0 
			 2002 March 105 12 11.4 1 1.0 
			 2003 March 78 7 9.0 0 0 
			 2004 March 90 2 2.2 0 0 
			 2005 March 42 1 2.4 0 0 
			 2006 March 184 34 18.5 0 0 
			 2006 December 205 11 5.4 0 0 
			  Source: Department of Health, KH07

Independent Sector

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much and what proportion of NHS expenditure she estimates went to the independent sector from  (a) central funds and  (b) primary care trust allocations in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: Information on expenditureon the independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme from central budgets is shown in the table.
	
		
			   ISTC programme expenditure ( million)( 1)  Total NHS expenditure ( million)  ISTC expenditure as a percentage of total NHS spend 
			 2003-04 0.4 64,183  
			 2004-05 84.7 69,079 0.12 
			 2005-06 113.7 75,830 0.15 
			 (1 )Expenditure on locally procured independent sector treatment providers is not separately identified in the annual financial returns of national health service trusts, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.  Note: The first ISTC commenced services in 2003. The above figures include central funding provided for the ISTCs, the general supplementary procurement and pathfinder contracts. NHS spend on independent healthcare providers will be determined by the choices made by patients and those who commission services locally on their behalf.

Insulin

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2007,  Official Report, column 546W, on insulin, 
	(1)  what adverse effects are associated with the use of  (a) animal insulins,  (b) synthetic human insulins and  (c) analogue insulins; what the incidence is of each effect; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what the evidential basis is for the assessment that analogue insulins are  (a) safe,  (b) effective and  (c) cost-effective.

Caroline Flint: Detailed information regarding the adverse effects known or suspected to be associated with a medicine is provided in the summary of product characteristics (the product information for prescribers) and the patient information leaflet.
	Generally the side effects observed are broadly similar for all types of insulins with the most commonly observed side effects being hypoglycaemia, visual disturbance and injection site reactions. Tables which summarise the current knowledge of frequencies of adverse reactions with different insulins have been placed in the Library. These provide a breakdown of the types of adverse effects and their frequencies, where known. The tables contain the information relating to animal, human and analogue insulins and are separated by the classification of the medicine into the following four groups: rapid; intermediate; long and biphasic action. It is important to note that a report of an adverse reaction does not necessarily mean that the drug caused it and a number of the adverse reactions reported by patients treated with insulin may be due to the underlying diabetes.
	There is less information available on the frequency of side effects for some of the older products. Guidelines for the investigation of the safety and efficacy of new medicinal products have developed over the years and the evidence base available for older products tends to be much less than that available for newer products such as the insulin analogues.
	The following aspects of the product are evaluated in detail as the evidential basis for the assessment of safety and efficacy of the analogue insulins:
	Manufacturing data, including biological purity, stability and viral removal processes;
	Laboratory testing of the product activity such as its binding to the relevant tissues;
	Testing on animals for safety and activity;
	Clinical trials in healthy volunteers and/or patient volunteers to;
	Establish the mechanism of action;
	Study distribution of the product within human body;
	Evaluate safety in sufficient numbers of volunteers to reflect safety issues that would be usually expected in clinical practice; and
	Evaluate efficacy in sufficient number of volunteers to demonstrate that the product in question would be clinically useful as intended.
	If it is considered that benefit versus risk profile of the product is positive, on the basis of aforementioned evaluation, a recommendation to license the product would normally be made.
	A summary of the available data on safety and effectiveness submitted in support of the licence applications for many of the insulin analogues is made publicly available in the form of a European Public Assessment Report available on the website of the European Medicines Agency (www.emea.europa.eu).
	Assessing the cost-effectiveness of a treatment is the responsibility of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). The Appraisal Committee of NICE are asked to take account of the overall resources available to the national health service. Decisions on the cost-effectives of a treatment must include judgments on the implications for other patient groups.

Junior Doctors: Career Structure

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is responsible for the implementation of the modernising programme for junior doctors.

Caroline Flint: The four United Kingdom Health Departments are responsible for the overall implementation of modernising medical careers. The Health Departments co-ordinate action through a United Kingdom modernising medical careers strategy group which includes members from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the General Medical Council, the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) and national health service employers. Each country also has a dedicated implementation team.
	The Royal Colleges are directly responsible for developing the new competency-based curricula which are approved by PMETB. The Royal Colleges also work closely with postgraduate deans over the development of person specifications for the recruitment process and the postgraduate deans themselves oversee selection into posts.
	The number of training opportunities availablein 2007 was based on local discussions between local NHS employers, strategic health authorities and postgraduate deans.

Maternity Services: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the impact of proposed changes to midwifery services in Leeds on  (a) the number and frequency of home visits and  (b) the provision of post-natal care;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the impact of proposed changes to midwifery services in Leeds on the distances midwifery staff will have to travel in the course of their duties; and what provision has been made for the effect on costs of such travel;
	(3)  what consultation was undertaken on proposed changes to midwifery provision in Leeds with  (a) midwifery staff and  (b) representatives of the Leeds Primary Care Trust.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 22 March 2007
	 The NHS Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority reports that the proposed changes were formulated in November 2006 and consultation involving the Royal College of Midwives, human resources and local staff side commenced in December 2006. Staff have been invited to raise their concerns at one to one meetings. The head of midwifery worksin close collaboration with the primary care commissioners, midwifery educationalists, and the health visiting lead, who are aware of the proposed changes and welcome the modernisation schedule for maternity services taking shape. Focus groups have also been held with women to better understand their expectations of the service.
	Midwives will continue to be available to provide home visits where appropriate. The provision of home visits will be based on an assessment of risk and need.
	The Leeds Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust may require staff to change theirwork base for operational reasons. Eligibility for reimbursement of excess travel does not normally apply in these circumstances under the current agenda for change terms and conditions for staff employed in the NHS.

NHS: Complaints

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent representations she has received on the NHS complaints procedure; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans she has to reform the NHS complaints procedure to make it easier for users of the NHS to make a complaint.

Rosie Winterton: We received representation on the national health service complaints procedure in a joint letter in October 2006 from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and the Local Government Ombudsman, providing feedback which welcomes our commitment to establish integrated health and social care complaints arrangements, gives their views on the principles they consider should govern the development and delivery of the new integrated approach, and summarises what they believe needs to be in place to make an effective integrated approach a reality.
	The White Paper Our health, our care, our say published in January 2006, signals our commitment to
	develop by 2009 a comprehensive single complaints system across health and social care [that will] focus on resolving complaints locally with a more personal and comprehensive approach to handling complaints,
	in response to people's wishes for easy and effective ways of complaining.
	We intend to conduct a consultation exercise very shortly on reform of the complaints arrangements across health and social care. In so doing we will take account of the recommendations by the PHSO and Local Government Ombudsman in developing a new complaints system, which we agree should be based on the following principles:
	open and easy to accessflexible about the ways people could complain and with effective information and support for people wishing to do so, and specialist advocacy as appropriate;
	fairemphasising early resolution so minimising the strain and distress for all those involved; investigation should be robust, effective and comprehensive at this stage;
	responsiveproviding appropriate, tailored and proportionate response and redress; having proper regard to the complainant's legitimate interests; and
	providing an opportunity for learning and developingensuring complaints are viewed as a positive opportunity to learn from patients1 experiences and views to drive continual improvement in services.
	We have accepted a recommendation of the Shipman Inquiry (Fifth Report) that there should be a statutory recognition of the importance of the proper investigation of complaints to the processes of organisational learning and of monitoring the quality of care. Additionally a fair and responsive system must address the specific needs of vulnerable people, such as those with learning difficulties, mental health problems and communication difficulties.
	Throughout the consultation process we will maintain ongoing communication and feedback from key stakeholders, such as the ombudsman, theLocal Government Ombudsman, the Healthcare Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and Monitor, the regulator for foundation trusts. We will consult widely on the proposals across all health and social care communities, in the public and private sectors, and with patient and user representatives. As well as written responses we intend to conduct events in London and around the country to encourage thorough debate and feedback.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State forHealth which programmes have been funded by her Department's Centrally Funded Initiatives and Services and Special Allocations (CFISSA) budget so far in 2006-07 financial year; what the value was of each of those programmes; what the total expenditure on the CFISSA budget was in each year since 1997-98; and what the anticipated expenditure on the CFISSA budget is expected to be in 2007-08.

Andy Burnham: Tables are available in the Library providing:
	(a) listings of all allocations by budget title and value to National Health Service organisations from 1997-98 to 2005-06;
	(b) total expenditure of the centrally funded, initiatives services and special allocations (CFISSA) programme from 1997-98 to 2005-06;
	(c) special allocations issued with initial allocations from 1997-98 to 2005-06; and
	(d) special allocations and associated budgets issued to NHS organisations as additional allocations (and which are included in the tables described in (a) and (b) above).
	Full year 2006-07 information and anticipated expenditure in 2007-08 on centrally funded initiatives services and special allocations is not yet available. This information will be contained within the 2006-07 Departmental Report that has an estimated publishing date of May 2007.

NHS: Finance

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State forHealth pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 28 March 2007, on changes to the NHS resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) regime, why the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust was omitted from the list of trusts receiving the reversal of RAB income deductions.

Andy Burnham: The reversals set out in the written ministerial statement of 28 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 96-98WS, are for income deductions applied to NHS trusts in 2006-07 as a result of deficits incurred during 2005-06. No such income deduction was made to Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust as the trust's financial position reported in the 2005-06 final accounts was a surplus of 112,000.
	Under the new rules, NHS trusts that had income deductions made in years prior to 2006-07 will be able to agree a disregard for these deductions in the calculation of their statutory breakeven duty. This means that they will no longer have to generate a surplus to recover any part of their cumulative deficit that arose solely from the application of resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) income deductions.
	Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust will therefore need to agree with its auditors the impact on its breakeven duty of any RAB income deductions applied in 2005-06 and earlier years. The breakeven note would then be adjusted to exclude these in the 2006-07 final accounts.

NHS: Finance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of local improvement finance trusts in the  (a) commissioning,  (b) financing and  (c) building of local primary care health facilities.

Andy Burnham: The NHS Plan (2000) introduced national health service local improvement finance trusts (LIFT) as a way of supporting the delivery of more investment in primary care premises. LIFT is providing modern integrated super surgeries, often in the heart of deprived communities. As of 31 March 2007, it has delivered 115 new buildings open to patients with another 74 under construction, supported by over 1.2 billion of investment. The NAO report on LIFT, Innovation in the NHS, noted that LIFT is well designed and offered advantages over other forms of procurement.
	Information is not held centrally to allow for an assessment on the effectiveness of the buildings commissioning period for each scheme. It is for PCTs to manage the commissioning of their new facilities.
	Information is not held centrally to allow for an assessment of effectiveness of the financing of each individual scheme. However, as part of the business case approval for each scheme financing terms are assessed, with the support of expert financial advice. The Department is also assembling benchmarking data to support this analysis in current and future LIFTs.
	The Department as part of its Better Healthcare Buildings policy initiative is working closely with the commission for architecture and the built environment who have undertaken a detailed design quality survey of a representational cross section of primary care buildings procured under the LIFT initiative. They are preparing findings, which the Department will learn from and implement policy aimed at continually raising the standards of LIFT buildings.

NHS: ICT

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trusts she expects to meet the Patient Administration System implementation deadline of23 April; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Patient administration systems (PAS) implemented in:  Deployments to date  Additional deployments planned to be completed by 23 April 2007 
			 Acute Trusts 19 4 
			 Primary Care Trusts 94 5 
			 Primary Care Trusts (PAS with additional clinical functionality) 89 0 
			 Mental Health Trusts 17 0 
			 Total 219 9 
		
	
	The national health service is in the process of moving from being an organisation with fragmented or incomplete systems, with physical processing and storage of records on paper, to a position where national systems are fully integrated, record keeping is digital, and patients have unprecedented access to their personal health records. PAS systems that are compliant with other applications delivered through the national programme for information technology are a key element of this process.
	The national programme is providing essential services to support patient care and the smooth running of the NHS, without which it could already not properly function. Thousands of national and local systems have already been successfully deployed on time, including widespread coverage of community PAS where none existed previously. Almost two thirds of hospitals now have digital X-rays and scans, and at the heart of the programme is the NHS care records service which will in due course provide a lifelong electronic personal health record for NHS patients in England.

Obesity: Surgery

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average wait for gastric bypass surgery was in each hospital trust in the last period for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: The figures are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Median  time waited for finished admission episodes with an elective waiting list or booked admission and a main operation of gastric bypass surgery by treatment provider  for 2005-06 
			  NHS Hospitals, England  Method of Admission 11 Elective - from waiting list and 12 Electivebooked 
			  Gastric Bypass Surgery defined by OPCS4.2 Codes: G01.2, G01.3, G27.1, G27.2, G27.3, G27.4, G27.5, G27.8, G27.9, G28.1, G28.2, G28.3, G28.8, G28.9, G31.1, G31.2, G31.3, G31.4, G31.8, G31.9, G31.0, G32.1, G32.2, G32.3, G32.8, G32.9, G32.0, G33.1, G33.2, G33.3, G33.8, G33.9, G33.0 
			  Provider  c ode  Provider  d escription  Median  waiting time  (days)  Total  e pisodes 
			 RA2 Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust 13 8 
			 RA3 Weston Area Health NHS Trust   
			 RA7 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust 14 25 
			 RA9 South Devon Health Care NHS Trust   
			 RAE Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 11 18 
			 RAJ Southend Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 13 9 
			 RAX Kingston Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RBA Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust 86 36 
			 RBD West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RBK Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 132 25 
			 RBL Wirral Hospital NHS Trust c 18 
			 RBN St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 15 8 
			 RBQ The Cardiothoracic CentreLiverpool NHS Trust   
			 RBS Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust   
			 RBT The Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RC1 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RC3 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RC9 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust 85 17 
			 RCB York Hospitals NHS Trust 264 44 
			 RCC Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Health Care NHS Trust   
			 RCD Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust   
			 RCF Airedale NHS Trust   
			 RCS Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 10 33 
			 RCX The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust   
			 RD1 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust 18 7 
			 RD3 Poole Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RD7 Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Trust 17 6 
			 RDD Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 19 11 
			 RDE Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust   
			 RDU Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 16 14 
			 RDZ Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust   
			 REF Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 25 11 
			 REM Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust 34 14 
			 RF4 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 26 11 
			 RFF Barnsley District General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 13 6 
			 RFK Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RFR The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust   
			 RFS Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 6 8 
			 RG2 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 15 6 
			 RG3-X Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 15 6 
			 RGC Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 24 6 
			 RGN Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 28 14 
			 RGP James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust   
			 RGQ Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 25 20 
			 RGT Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 11 18 
			 RGZ Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust   
			 RH8 Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust 19 15 
			 RHM Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust 17 17 
			 RHQ Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 214 129 
			 RHU Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 12 21 
			 RHW Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RJ1 Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 19 40 
			 RJ2 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RJ5 St. Mary's NHS Trust 10 11 
			 RJ7 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust 160 39 
			 RJC South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RJD-X Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RJE University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust 14 25 
			 RJF Burton Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RJL-X Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust 11 9 
			 RJN East Cheshire NHS Trust   
			 RJR Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust   
			 RJZ King's College Hospital NHS Trust 236 29 
			 RK5 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RK9 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust 13 20 
			 RKB University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 14 24 
			 RKE The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RL4 The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust 15 8 
			 RLN City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust   
			 RLQ Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust 13 6 
			 RM1 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust 13 11 
			 RM2 South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust 19 9 
			 RM3 Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust 12 11 
			 RMC Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RMP Tameside and Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust 9 11 
			 RN1-X Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust   
			 RN3 Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust   
			 RN5-X North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RN7 Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust   
			 RNA Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust 13 9 
			 RNJ Barts and The London NHS Trust 6 29 
			 RNL North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust c 13 
			 RNQ Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RNS Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust 23 8 
			 RNZ Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust 39 6 
			 RP4 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust   
			 RP5 Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 9 12 
			 RPL Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RPR Royal West Sussex NHS Trust   
			 RPY The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust 14 26 
			 RQ3 Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RQ6 Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust 4 27 
			 RQ8 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 11 10 
			 RQM Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust 161 10 
			 RQN Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust 8 23 
			 RQW The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RQX Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 72 21 
			 RR1 Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust 7 19 
			 RR2 Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust   
			 RR7 Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust   
			 RR8 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 116 77 
			 RRF Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust 9 6 
			 RRK University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust 14 47 
			 RRV University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 13 24 
			 RT3 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust   
			 RTD The Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust 6 52 
			 RTE Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 14 10 
			 RTF Northumbria Health Care NHS Trust   
			 RTG Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 15 15 
			 RTH Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 13 20 
			 RTK Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RTP Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust   
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 16 19 
			 RTX University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust 10 9 
			 RV8 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 12 11 
			 RVJ North Bristol NHS Trust   
			 RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 9 8 
			 RW East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust 14 7 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust 13 8 
			 RVY Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RW3 Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust 23 10 
			 RW6 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 10 28 
			 RWA Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 181 103 
			 RWD United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust 24 18 
			 RWE University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust 29 64 
			 RWF Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 40 10 
			 RWG West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 19 12 
			 RWH East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust   
			 RWJ Stockport NHS Foundation Trust 16 8 
			 RWP-X Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 14 11 
			 RWW North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust 28 9 
			 RWY Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust 22 9 
			 RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RXF-X Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 10 22 
			 RXH Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 27 10 
			 RXL Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust 20 11 
			 RXN Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 0 7 
			 RXP County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RXQ Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust 14 7 
			 RXR East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 9 16 
			 RXW Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust 14 12 
			  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Main Operation The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, e.g. time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.  Time Waited (days) Time waited statistics from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.  Data Quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.   Ungrossed Data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Low Numbers Due to reasons of confidentiality, episodes figures between 1 and 5 and their corresponding waiting times have been suppressed and replaced with .  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for Health  Social Care.

Pharmacy

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether she has met  (a) pharmacists and  (b) pharmaceutical wholesalers to discuss the supply network for British pharmaceuticals since Pfizer began distributing their products through a single company;
	(2)  whether she has received any representations on the operation of Pfizer's new distribution model for pharmaceuticals;
	(3)  whether she has met  (a) Pfizer and  (b) UniChem to discuss the operation of their pharmaceutical distribution network;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the extent to which the operation of Pfizer's new distribution model for pharmaceuticals meets the guarantees provided to her Department in October 2006.

Caroline Flint: Ministers have had no meetings with representatives of Pfizer, Unichem, pharmacists or the pharmaceutical wholesale industry, since the launch of Pfizer's new distribution arrangements on 5 March, to discuss these new arrangements.
	Since the launch of the new arrangements, the Department has received eight written representation, as of 2 April, not including the four questions asked by the hon. Member. Officials in the Department continue to monitor the operation of the new system.

Quality Health Ltd.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what communications her Department has had with Quality Health Ltd since March 2001.

Andy Burnham: The Department is not aware of any direct communications it has had with Quality Health Limited since 2001.

Smoking: Public Places

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received on the health effects of the smoking of shisha pipes in public places.

Caroline Flint: The Health Act 2006 will prohibit smoking in enclosed and substantially enclosed workplaces and public places. Within the Act, smoking refers to smoking tobacco or anything which contains tobacco, or smoking any other substance. The smokefree provisions within the Health Act will therefore apply to the use of waterpipes such as shisha and hookah.
	Smoking of waterpipes was addressed in the regulatory impact assessment for smokefree legislation, the Department's consultation on proposed smokefree regulations and was debated during the passage of the Health Bill through Parliament.
	Representations on the health effects of smoking of waterpipes have referred to World Health Organisation (WHO) advice that using a waterpipe to smoke tobacco poses a serious potential health hazard to smokers and others exposed to the smoke emitted. The WHO advice states that second-hand smoke from waterpipes is a mixture of tobacco smoke in addition to smoke from the fuel, and therefore poses a serious health risk for non-smokers and recommends that waterpipes should be prohibited in public places consistent with banson cigarette and other forms of tobacco smoking(World Health Organisation (2005) Waterpipe Tobacco Smoke: Health effects, research needs and recommended actions by regulators. WHO, Geneva).
	In February 2007, the American Lung Association published advice titled An emerging deadly trend: waterpipe tobacco use which cited evidence that waterpipe use may increase exposure to carcinogens because smokers use a waterpipe over a much longer period of time, often 40 to 45 minutes, rather than the five to 10 minutes it takes to smoke a cigarette. Due to the longer, more sustained period of inhalation and exposure, a waterpipe smoker may inhale as much smoke as consuming 100 or more cigarettes during a single session. The American Lung Association report concluded that existing evidence on waterpipe smoking shows that it carries many of the same health risks and has been linked to many of the same diseases caused by cigarette smoking.
	Copies of documents referred to are available in the Library.

Soft Drinks

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of litres of fizzy drinks that have been consumed per person in England over the last 12 months.

Barry Gardiner: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government do not collect specific data on the consumption of fizzy drinks.
	However, according to the Expenditure and Food Survey England, household residents purchased an average of 65 litres of ready-to-drink soft drinks per person in the year from April 2004 to March 2005. This figure includes still and fizzy soft drinks, includingfruit juice drinks, but excludes pure fruit juices and smoothies.

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many retailers were prosecuted for selling alcohol to under-age customers in each year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Information from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of retailers prosecuted for selling alcohol to minors, allowing sale to minors and wholesale sale to minors is shown in the following table.
	The offence of sale of alcohol to a person under 18 can attract a penalty notice for disorder (PND).The offence was added to the PND scheme on the1 November 2004, and there were 113 penalty notices issued for the offence in November and December of that year. 2,058 penalty notices were issued in 2005 and provisional data for January to June 2006 shows that a further 1,562 penalty notices were issued for the offence in that period.
	
		
			  Number of defendants p roceeded against at magistrates  courts for selling alcohol to underage customers, England and Wales 1995-2005( 1, 2) 
			  Offence description  Principal statute  Year  Proceeded against 
			 Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises Licensing Act 1964 S.169 A  B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S.1 1995 198 
			   1996 251 
			   1997 214 
			   1998 310 
			   1999 204 
			   2000 130 
			   2001 155 
			   2002 168 
			   2003 604 
			   2004 836 
			   2005 1,044 
			 
			 Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18 Licensing Act 1964 S.181 A(1) as added by Licensing Act 1988 S.17 1995  
			   1996  
			   1997 1 
			   1998 1 
			   1999 1 
			   2000 2 
			   2001 3 
			   2002 2 
			   2003 12 
			   2004 5 
			   2005 11 
			 
			 Sale of alcohol to person under 18 Licensing Act 2003 S.146 2005(3) 29 
			 
			 Allowing of alcohol to person under 18 Licensing Act 2003 S.147 2005(3)  
			 (1 )These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Sections 146 and 147 of the 2003 Licensing Act only came into effect from 24 November 2005, so data prior to 2005 is not available.  Source: RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform

Animal Experiments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's budget is for the reduction, replacement and refinement of animal experimentation.

Joan Ryan: We announced on 21 May 2004,  Official Report, column 69WS, that the Home Office would transfer its budget for research into the reduction, replacement and refinement of animal experimentation (the 3Rs) to the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) once pre-existing commitments had been honoured. Accordingly, the Home Office contributed 35,000, 125,000 and 250,000 to the funding of the Centre in financial years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07, respectively.
	The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research is an independent organisation, funded by Government, research councils and industry, reporting to the Minister for Science and Innovation, and providesa United Kingdom focus for the promotion, development and implementation of the 3Rs in animal research and testing. The centre funds high-quality 3Rs research and facilitates the exchange of information and ideas, the identification of knowledge gaps, and the translation of research findings into practice to benefit both animals and science.

Bronzefield Prison: Foreigners

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many convicted prisoners who served  (a) all and  (b) the final part of their sentence at HMP Bronzefield have continued to be detained there pending deportation since the prison opened;
	(2)  how many convicted prisoners who have completed their sentences are being held at HMP Bronzefield pending deportation; and on what date each such prisoner's sentence was completed.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information that would identify time-served foreign national prisoners generally orat a particular prison is not available except at disproportionate cost.

Crime: USA

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department had with the police departments of  (a) Chicago,  (b) New York and  (c) Los Angeles on methods of countering street gangs and gang culture.

Vernon Coaker: The Strategic Criminal Use of Firearms Intelligence review was carried out in 2005 jointly by the Home Office Police Standards Unit (PSU) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Criminal Use of Firearms Group. This involved visits to New York, Boston and Washington, and discussionswith Police Departments, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
	The PSU funded ACPO Criminal Use of Firearms Group also visited Washington to learn about gangs and gang culture in the USA. A representative of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) recently attended an ACPO Criminal Use of Firearms Intelligence Sub-Group meeting in the UK and presented details of the LAPD forensic approach to tackling gun crime involving gangs.
	The current Director of the Home 0ffice PSU Police and Crime Standards Directorate is Paul Evans, the former Commissioner of Boston Police, who has extensive experience of dealing with gun crime and gangs in the USA.
	The learning from these visits and discussions with law enforcement personnel in other jurisdictions is incorporated into police control strategies.

Crimes of Violence

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definition of common assault the police use for the purposes of arresting people for that offence.

Tony McNulty: Common assault is committed when a person either assaults another person or commitsa battery. An assault is committed when a person intentionally or recklessly causes another to apprehend the immediate infliction of unlawful force. A battery is committed when a person intentionally and recklessly applies unlawful force to another. The full definition applied by the police is set out in the legal guidance provided by the Crown Prosecution Service and available at:
	http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/section5/chapter_c.html#06.

Custodial Treatment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  which  (a) retailers,  (b) shopping centres,  (c) town centres and  (d) local authorities have expressed an interest in having a short-term holding facility;
	(2)  what legal advice in relation to  (a) employment and  (b) safety in the workplace legislation he has received on the introduction of short-term holding facilities.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 26 March 2007
	The consultation paper Modernising Police Powers: Review of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 indicates that any short-term holding facility would be under the supervision of a custody officer. Under PACE, a custody officer is appointedby the chief officer for the force concerned for each designated police station. Therefore, we would anticipate that any facility would be under the control of the chief officer. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) believes that the proposal has merit and could help in the fight against rising levels of retail crime if used appropriately. We have had contact with retail outlets and the consultation exercise is seeking views on the appropriateness, use and process of designation of short-term holding facilities.

Departmental Computers

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department pursuant to his answer of4 December 2006,  Official Report, column 144W, on departmental computers, how many computers  (a) were stolen from his Department in 2006 and  (b) have been stolen in 2007.

Liam Byrne: In 2006, 19 computers were reported stolen from the Department. This number comprises 17 laptop computers, one PDA and one Blackberry.
	Three computers have been reported stolen in 2007 to date. This number comprises two laptop computers and one Blackberry.

Departments: Advertising

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department what his Department's total spending was on advertising and promotional campaigns in each year since 1997; and what the cost of each campaign was, broken down by costs relating to  (a) television,  (b) radio and  (c) print media.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 March 2007
	Home Office spending on advertising and promotional campaigns in 2004-05 and 2005-06 is set out in the following table. The cost of providing figures for earlier years would be disproportionate. Figures given are for media costs only and exclude VAT.
	
		
			  2004-05 
			   
			  Job. No.  Client  Campaign Title  Media Total (inc. VAT)  TV  Radio  Print 
			 262599 Home Drugs Advertising 2004-05 936,688 393,647 221,208 321,833 
			 263090 Home Gun Crime 2004-05 162,042   162,042 
			 263385 Home Acquisitive Crime Reduction 2004-05 6,062,794 3,366,681 771,571 1,924,542 
			 263424 Home Child Protection on the Internet 2004-05 124,285  112,919 11,366 
			 263689 Home Domestic Violence 2004-05 432,263  169,940 262,323 
			 264879 Home Anti-social Behaviour 2004-05 368,492   368,492 
			 266073 Home Police Specials recruitment 2004-05 1,885,559 1,001,000 238,364 646,195 
			 266304 Home Clean Up week 2004-05 25,722   25,722 
			  Home Office Total  9,997,845 4,761,328 1,514,002 3,722,515 
		
	
	
		
			  2005-06 
			   
			  Job. No.  Client  Campaign Title  Media Total (inc. VAT)  TV  Radio  Print 
			 268359 Home Home Office Miscellaneous 2005-06 5,734   5,734 
			 270915 Home Child Protection on the Internet 2005-06 862,229  250,834 611,395 
			 270917 Home Anti-Social Behaviour 2005-06 396,475   396,475 
			 270985 Home Acquisitive Crime Reduction 4,085,297 2,535,453 596,528 953,316 
			 272028 Home Police Specials recruitment 1,389,166 555,600 347,402 486,164 
			 272219 Home Alcohol Misuse Enforcement 2005-06 115,255   115,255 
			 273036 Home Clean Up Campaign 2005-06 39,819   39,819 
			 273211 Home Domestic Violence 2005-06 534, 587  110,302 424,285 
			 273212 Home Car park security scheme 94,260  50,516 43,744 
			 274136 Home Crime Stoppers 2005-06 82,182   82,182 
			 274234 Home Police Higher Potential Development campaign 143,723   143,723 
			 274637 Home Rape 2005-06 66,153  66,153  
			  Home Office Total  7,814,880 3,091.053 1,421,735 3,302,092

Departments: Golden Arrow

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of Statefor the Home Department how many meetings the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Criminal Justice System and Offender Management) has attended with representatives of  (a) Golden Arrow and  (b) Sovereign Strategy since taking office; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond) on 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1443W.
	In addition, a review of my ministerial diary has indicated that I have not met with representatives of Sovereign Strategy in my official capacity since I became the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State.
	On a general basis, Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice.

Departments: Surveys

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department pursuant to the answer of20 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1505W, on Departments: surveys, if he will place in the Library the results of the monthly staff survey for  (a) January and  (b) February.

John Reid: The monthly staff survey is used for internal management information purposes.
	There is no plan to place the results in the Library of the House.

Departments: Theft

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of Statefor the Home Department what items valued at above 100 were reported as stolen from his Department's buildings or premises in the last 12 months.

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value was of items stolen from his Department in 2006.

Liam Byrne: The central Home Office and Immigration and Nationality Directorate reported thefts or losses for non-IT property in 2006 to the value of 250 in respect of postal orders.
	The recorded number of stolen items of IT property for 2006 is 19. Because Home Office IT assets are supplied under managed service contracts, a specific cost cannot be attributed to each item without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The Department has guidelines which should be followed in the event of a theft or loss. All reported thefts or losses are investigated and appropriate action is taken in the light of these investigations.

Deportation: Democratic Republic of Congo

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to monitor the treatment of returned asylum seekers deported from the UK in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: We would not return people to a country where they had established that they were at real riskof ill-treatment on return and thus were in need of international protection. If specific allegations are made that any returnee has experienced ill-treatment on return from the UK, then these will be followed up through the FCO.

Deportation: Zimbabwe

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had in 2007 regarding a change in status for enforcement of deportation to Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: We are not currently enforcing removals to Zimbabwe pending the resolution of a test case relating to such removals. On 6 March the Court of Appeal found that, in reaching its determinationthat the enforced return of failed asylum-seekers to Zimbabwe does not put them at risk of mistreatment, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal did not fully consider material parts of the evidence of two of the witnesses in this case and has asked the tribunal to look at that evidence again. We continue to expect those found by the asylum decision making and independent appeals process not to need international protection to return to Zimbabwe voluntarily.

Dispersal Orders: Cleveland

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department how many dispersal orderswere issued in each basic command unit covered by Cleveland police in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: The numbers of dispersal orders made in the Cleveland police force area for the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of dispersal orders 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 4 
			 2006 5 
		
	
	Information is not collected centrally for which basic command unit these orders originated from.

Domestic Violence

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department how many domestic violence offenders have completed community rehabilitation orders without having  (a) started and  (b) completed the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme that was a condition of their sentence.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is notheld centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Drugs: Rehabilitation Centres

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many beds exist in drug residential rehabilitation centres; how many such places are occupied by convicted offenders; and if he will provide increased funding for such beds.

Vernon Coaker: Nationally, there are around 120 drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation services in the community with approximately 3,000 bed spaces.
	Offenders can access residential drug treatmentas part of a Community Order with a Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR)/Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO) or post-custodial licence, where assessed as suitable on an individual basis by a qualified professional. Figures relating to the number of these beds which are occupied by convicted defendants are not held centrally.
	The main source of funding for treatment is the Pooled Treatment Budget for substance misuse (PTB). The national PTB for 2006-07 is 385 million. This is 28 per cent. more than the previous year. The PTB in 2007-08 will be a record 398 million which will be nearly three times greater than the original PTB created in 2001-02 (142 million). Additionally, in February 2007, the Government allocated 54 million for the development of in-patient and residential rehabilitation substance.

Electronic Tagging

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were committed in each of the last five years by offenders wearing electronic tags; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Over 137,000 offenders have been released on the Home Detention Curfew scheme from its inception in January 1999 to the end of February 2007.
	The following table sets out the number of offenders, who have been cautioned, convicted or are awaiting prosecution for offences while they were subject to the home detention curfew scheme, as currently notifiedto the National Offender Management Service. Italso gives a breakdown of the number of offences committed.
	
		
			   Number of offenders cautioned, convicted or awaiting prosecution for an offence committed whil e  they were subject to the home detention curfew scheme  Total number of offences committed, or allegedly committed by the offenders 
			 1999 71 131 
			 1999-2000 294 595 
			 2000-01 244 392 
			 2001-02 208 392 
			 2002-03 584 1,071 
			 2003-04 298 2,272 
			 2004-05 1,311 2,155 
			 2005-06 1,214 1,982 
		
	
	Some of those awaiting prosecution will be acquitted or have their charges dropped.
	Information on further convictions for offenders subject to other electronic monitoring schemes apart from home detention curfew is not held centrally.

Firearms: Crime

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gun crimes were committed in each of the last 10 years with  (a) legally registered weapons and  (b) illegally held weapons.

Tony McNulty: The requested data is not in a form suitable for publication.

Fraud: Credit Cards

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the risk of credit card fraud.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are determined to tackle the problem of fraud, whether the victim is a multi-million pound organisation or a single individual and works closely with business and the police to introduce ways of preventing fraud. Recently published figures from APACS (the UK Payments Association) show that losses from plastic card fraud fell by 3 per cent. in 2006 compared with 2005.
	A great deal of fraud can be prevented if organisations have proper fraud prevention measures in place and if individuals protect their cards and financial details. Prevention initiatives complement fraud investigation and prosecution. The Home Office therefore supports fraud prevention initiatives being introduced by the finance and retail sectors including Chip and PIN and other technical solutions.
	The Home Office provides extra funds to the City of London Police to expand its economic crime department In addition to taking on a lead force role for tackling fraud across London and the South East the force hosts Operation Halo, the National Cheque and Plastic Card intelligence database. Dedicated officers link up with financial service industry and other police forces. This ensures that intelligence is analysed and assessed in quick time, allowing operational action to be taken.
	The Government publish fraud prevention advice on the Home Office and Consumer Direct websites and the Home Office maintains two websites to combat fraud. The 'e-tailing mini site' forms part of the crime reduction website and provides information to help both consumers and businesses protect themselves when buying and selling over the internet. The fraud mini site which is also part of the crime reduction website deals with fraud more generally and provides information for police and crime reduction practitioners, for businesses and for consumers. The Home Office has also published (jointly with the banking industry) a card fraud prevention leaflet that contains useful advice for members of the public. The leaflet was distributed to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Crime Prevention Officers in all police forces in England and Wales, The leaflet is also available on the Home Office website.

Fraud: Credit Cards

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of credit card fraud were committed in  (a) Hartlepool constituency and  (b) Tees Valley sub-region in each of the last10 years.

Vernon Coaker: The available information relates to crimes recorded by the police in the Hartlepool Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP). At this level, figures for cheque and credit card fraud are available from 2001-02.
	The available figures are given in the following table.
	Statistics for the Tees Valley sub-region are not available.
	
		
			  Offences of cheque and credit card fraud in Hartlepool CDRP 
			   Number of offences 
			 2001-02 61 
			 2002-03(1) 63 
			 2003-04 55 
			 2004-05 95 
			 2005-06 76 
			 (1) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1751-52W, on human trafficking, how many of those charged with offences relating to the trafficking of people in 2005 were  (a) convicted and  (b) foreign nationals.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 15 March 2007
	 Information on charging and the outcome of charging is not held within the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
	From data on the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, the following table shows the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for various offences relating to trafficking of people in England and Wales, 2005.
	These data are not related to data previously provided by the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) for PQ 122478 answered 5 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1751-52W. The court proceedings database does not hold data on the nationality of the defendant.
	The figures previously provided in PQ 122478 refer to the number of offences charged that reach a first hearing. This is different from the number of persons proceeded against and is based on the principle offence only. Hence CPS figures for charging will be higher than our figures for proceeded against, and found guilty.
	The CPS does not hold any information on the outcome of proceedings at specific offence level, only a count of the number of offences falling under specific acts and sections of Acts.
	CPS systems do not include an analysis of the nationality of defendants.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for various offences relating to trafficking of people in England and Wales, 2005( 1,2,3) 
			  Statute  Offence description  Prosecuted  Found guilty 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s.57 Arrange/facilitate arrival into the UK of a person for sexual exploitation (Trafficking) 10 9 
			 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s.58 Arrange/facilitate travel within the UK of a person for sexual exploitation (Trafficking) 16 3 
			 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s.59 Arrange/facilitate departure from the UK of a person for sexual exploitation (Trafficking) 0 0 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 sec. 25(l)(a) Knowingly concerned in making or carrying out arrangements for securing or facilitating the entry into the UK of anyone whom he knows or has reasonable cause for believing to be an illegal entrant 4 84 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 sec. 25(l)(b) as added by Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 s.5 Knowingly concerned in making or carrying out arrangements for securing or facilitating the entry into the UK of anyone whom he knows or has reasonable cause for believing to be an asylum claimant 0 3 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25 as added by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 s143 Assisting unlawful immigration to member state (was 194/11 and 12) 99 55 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25A as added by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 s143 Helping asylum-seeker to enter the UK 15 7 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25B as added by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 s143 Assisting entry to UK in breach of deportation order or exclusion order 5 2 
			 
			 Immigration Act, 1971 sec. 25(2) Knowingly harbouring an illegal entrant (or person believed to be an illegal entrant) 1 1 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 sec. 25(2) Knowingly harbouring a non citizen who has remained in UK beyond the time allowed or has failed to observe a condition of the leave 1 1 
			 
			 Total  151 165 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Prosecutions are counted by date of final outcome in the magistrates court. Guilty figures are counted by the date of sentence in both magistrates courts and Crown Courts. Hence guilty figures can exceed prosecutions where they reflect cases of people being found guilty in the magistrates court and committed for sentence to the Crown Court, the two events being counted in two different years.  Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Human Trafficking

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister expectsthe UK to ratify the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 27 March 2007
	The Home Secretary signed the Council of Europe Convention on 26 March and we are now beginning to develop details on how implementation will be taken forward.
	It will inevitably take some time to move from signature to ratification of the Convention. Unlike some of our Council of Europe colleagues the UK will not ratify the Convention until all changes to domestic legislation, processes and guidance are in place to ensure that we fully comply with its terms.

Human Trafficking: Wales

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made ofthe number of people trafficked into Wales in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: We are not fully aware of the extent and nature of trafficking into the United Kingdom.
	Home Office research suggests that in 2003 in the United Kingdom there were approximately 4,000 women who were victims of human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. There are no available regionalised figures, however the initial findings from Operation Pentameter suggest that the problem is not confined solely to England as the recent case at Cardiff Crown indicates.
	As stated in the UK's Action Plan on tackling Human Trafficking, copies of which I have placed in the Library of the House, we intend to carry out further research to establish the scale and extent of the problem within our borders in relation to trafficking both for sexual and non-sexual purposes.

Hunting: Yorkshire and Humberside

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hunts in Yorkshire have been prosecuted for breaking the law since the hunting with dogs ban was introduced.

Tony McNulty: The Hunting Act 2004 came into effect on 18 February 2005.
	Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice reform shows that there were no prosecutions in Yorkshire police force area for hunting a wild mammal with a dog under the Hunting Act 2004 Sections 1 and 6.

Identity Cards

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 7 February 2007,  Official Report, column 987W, on identity cards, what charges will be made for verification through the Employer Verification Service; and what the features will be of the proposed enhanced service.

John Reid: Employers are not being charged forthe Employer Verification Service during the initial development period.
	We are engaging with organisations in the piloting of the service. Through this activity, and through planned market research, we will identify what enhancements employers would like to see from any future services and what would benefit them. We will continue to keep this matter under review.

Illegal Immigrants: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the number of people who are living in Northern Ireland illegally; how many were so living in each ofthe last five years; and if he will make a statement on the steps being taken by his Department to reduce the number.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 2 March 2007
	As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out in his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on23 May 2006, no Government have been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, illegally, and that remains the case.

Illegal Immigrants: Prostitution

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of female illegal immigrants being forced to work in the sex industry in  (a) England and  (b) Lancashire.

Vernon Coaker: Given the nature of problem it is difficult to estimate the extent and scale to which this crime takes place into, and within, the UK.
	Home Office research suggests that in 2003 in the United Kingdom there were approximately 4,000 women who were victims of human trafficking forthe purposes of sexual exploitation. Of these it isnot known how many entered the UK illegally but intelligence suggests that many victims of trafficking for sexual exploration enter the country legally. There are no available regionalised figures. However, the initial findings from Operation Pentameter suggest that the problem is not confined to solely the major conurbations.
	As stated in the UK's Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking, copies of which I have placed in the Library of the House, we intend to carry out further research to establish the scale and extent of the problem within our borders.

Immigrants: Detention Centres

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children of failed asylum applicants are held in immigration detention centres; and what the equivalent figure was for  (a) March 2006 and  (b) March 2005.

Liam Byrne: holding  answer  22 March 2007
	 Statistics are published showing the number of people detained solely under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter.
	As at 26 March 2005, there were 40 asylum applicants, including dependants, recorded as being under 18, detained solely under Immigration Act powers. As at 25 March 2006, there were 50 asylum applicants, including dependants, recorded as being under 18, detained solely under Immigration Act powers. These figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	The number of children detained with their families solely under Immigration Act powers will change from day to day. However, internal management information shows that, as at 22 March 2007 there were 67 minors detained with their families solely under Immigration Act powers. This figure includes asylum applicants and non-asylum cases. This figure does not constitute part of National Statistics as it is based on management information. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional.
	It is not possible to identify, within thee figures, which stage of the asylum process a person has reached when detained; this information would be available by examination of individual records only at disproportionate cost. The decision to detain is made on a case by case basis and may be appropriate in one or more of the following circumstances: to effect removal; while a person's identity and basis of claim are established; where a person presents a risk of absconding or where an asylum application is capable of being decided quickly.
	Minors are detained only in two limited circumstances: first, as part of a family group whose detention is considered appropriate; second, when unaccompanied, while alternative care arrangements are made and normally just overnight. While the detention of families with children is very regrettable, it nevertheless remains necessary in appropriate cases in order to maintain an effective immigration control and to tackle abuses of the asylum system.
	Information on the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers is published in the Quarterly Asylum Bulletins, on the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department how many mobile telephone numbers of failed asylum seekers were held by his Department as of 28 February.

Liam Byrne: In relation to failed asylum seekers, the New Asylum Model (NAM) involves an assigned IND caseworker having daily/weekly contact with asylum applicants either in person or over the telephone. This vigorous contact management approach will ensure that regular contact is maintained with the asylum applicant throughout the whole asylum process.

Leyhill Prison

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department what steps he has taken to apprehend escaped prisoners from Leyhill open prison; how many prisoners are still at large; and what offences they are guilty of.

Gerry Sutcliffe: When a prisoner absconds from an open prison, the police are informed immediately. Their apprehension is then a police matter. The following table sets out the number of prisoners who are still unlawfully at large after absconding, during the last five financial years. Offence details could be provided at disproportionate cost only.
	
		
			  Nu mber of prisoners unlawfully at large after absconding, 2002-2007 
			   Number of prisoners UAL( 1) 
			 2002-03 2 
			 2003-04 2 
			 2004-05 5 
			 2005-06 6 
			 2006-07 5 
			 (1) Data accurate as of 2 April 2007

Miscarriages of Justice: Compensation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons, and on what legal basis, the revised fee structure for the Independent Assessor of compensation for miscarriages of justice was implemented on 26 July 2006; and who  (a) designed and  (b) authorised the revised fee structure.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The legal basis for the payment of fees to the Assessor is set out in Schedule 12 and section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
	The fee structure implemented on 26 July 2006 took account of the increase in the complexity of cases and the requirement, following the Court of Appeal judgment in Mickey and O'Brien, for the Assessor to provide a more detailed breakdown of the elements of his assessment. The new fee structure was proposed by officials following discussion with the Assessor. It was authorised by the Home Secretary on 5 July 2006.
	Due to an oversight, formal Treasury approvalfor the revised fee structure was not given until15 February 2007. This oversight, which is regretted, has been brought to the attention of the Home Office accounting officer

Motoring Offences

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females were convicted of motoring offences in (i) Tamworth, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) England and Wales in the most recent year for which information is available, broken down by offence.

Tony McNulty: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on the number of males and females found guilty at all courts for motoring offences in Staffordshire police force area and England and Wales in 2005 can be found in the following table. It is not possible to identify those found guilty in Tamworth, as the data is not collected at this level of detail
	Court proceedings data for 2006 will be available in the autumn of 2007.
	
		
			  Number of offenders found guilty at all courts of motoring offences by gender and offence class in Staffordshire police force area, and England and Wales, 2005( 1, 2) 
			   Staffordshire  England and Wales 
			  Offence class  Male  Female  Male  Female 
			 Dangerous driving 68 2 4,522 173 
			 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 1,306 205 74,282 10,258 
			 Careless driving 556 124 17,308 3,133 
			 Accident offences 158 21 4,991 859 
			 Driving Licence related offences 1,008 78 48,495 3,866 
			 Vehicle Insurance Offences 3,779 475 179,492 20,423 
			 Vehicle Registration and Excise Licence offences 31 14 10,219 2,589 
			 Work record or employment offences 4 0 1,976 23 
			 Operator's Licence offences 3 0 477 17 
			 Vehicle Test offences 126 12 11,300 1,175 
			 Fraud, forgery, etc. associated with vehicle or driver records 19 0 1,746 174 
			 Vehicle, or part, in dangerous or defective condition 82 9 6,512 534 
			 Speed limit offences 3,344 916 124,952 28,814 
			 Motorway offence (other than speeding) 29 2 1,596 228 
			 Neglect of traffic directions 57 13 16,998 3,576 
			 Neglect of pedestrian rights 16 3 1,700 299 
			 Obstruction, waiting and parking offences 26 3 5,655 1,852 
			 Lighting offences 42 4 2,162 187 
			 Noise offences 2 1 365 13 
			 Load offences 138 1 3,629 94 
			 Offences peculiar to motor cycles 4 0 204 15 
			 Miscellaneous offences (including trailer offences) 2,206 454 56,892 13,425 
			 Total 13,004 2,337 575,473 91,727 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Oakhill Secure Training Centre

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of Statefor the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 120W, on Oakhill Secure Training Centre, how many members of staff have resigned since January 2005.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 23 February 2007
	Between 1 January 2005 and 31 January 2007, 224 members of staff resigned. These figures have been supplied by the Youth Justice Board and relate to employees of the contractor, G4S Justice Services. They do not include those employed by sub-contractors, for example providing health care or education services.
	G4S recognises that this is a high number of resignations. It is in part attributable to the particular employment conditions in Milton Keynes, where Oakhill is located. The Youth Justice Board and G4S are working on an action plan to address performance issues identified by the Commission for Social Care Inspection. This should help promote stability and reduce the number of staff leaving the centre.

Passports

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam, of 21 March 2007,  Official Report, column 972W, on passports, what the error rate was on checks provided by the Passport Validation Service in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Joan Ryan: The Passport Validation Service provides confirmation that information on a passport presented to a user organisation corresponds with the information held on central passport records for the purpose of combating fraud and identity theft.
	This has been provided since 2002 via a computer interface. A call centre service also commenced operation on 1 August 2006.
	On the basis of PVS records we are satisfied that no check has resulted in any erroneously confirmation being provided to a user organisation.

Passports: Applications

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to section 6(7) of the Identity Cards Act 2006, whether applicants for passport renewal who apply solely for a passport prior to 1 January 2010 will have their details entered on the National Identity Register.

Joan Ryan: Once passports are designated under section 4 of the Identity Cards Act 2006, anyone applying for the first time or for renewal of a passport will have their identity details entered on the National Identity Register which, apart from the recording of biometrics, will hold exactly the same sort of identity information that is already required for the issueof passports and other official documents. Prior to1 January 2010 section 6(7) of the Identity Cards Act makes it possible for anyone, who wishes to do so, to opt out of being issued with an identity card, but after that date anyone applying for a passport would be issued with an identity card together with a passport. This principle was accepted by Parliament when the Identity Cards Act was passed in 2006.

Passports: Interviews

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of Statefor the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2007,  Official Report, column 302W, on passports: interviews, on which days of the week each office will be open; and for how many hours each office will be open on each day.

Joan Ryan: The days per week each interview office referred to will open are:
	 (a) Barnstable(1) - Wednesday and Saturday
	 (b) Bristol - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
	 (c) Exeter - Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
	 (d) Yeovil - Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday
	All the offices will be open 8.00am to 6.00pm each day they are open.
	(1) IPS originally proposed to locate this office in Barnstable but we have not been able to secure suitable premises and are now extending our search to neighbouring towns.

Passports: Interviews

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of Statefor the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2007,  Official Report, column 301W, on passport interviews, if he will assess the merits of hosting remote access facilities for passport interview centres in Taunton.

Joan Ryan: Remote passport interview facilities will be located in sparsely populated parts of the UK, as defined by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Somerset is not defined as a sparsely populated area in this context.

Police Patrols

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of Statefor the Home Department further to his answer of6 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1930W, if he will provide the figures by each police force.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 28 March 2007
	 The following table sets out by force the proportion of police officer time spent on front-line duties. The information asked for on the time spent in each force on patrol and paperwork is not available as this data is collected by forces for internal management purposes only.
	
		
			  Time spent on Front-line duties 
			  Percentage 
			  Front-line policing  Position in 2005-06  Target for 2007-08 
			 Avon and Somerset 60.90 63.30 
			 Bedfordshire 62.10 68.50 
			 Cambridgeshire 70.70 69.30 
			 Cheshire 63.40 71.40 
			 City of London 69.10 70.60 
			 Cleveland 55.20 69.90 
			 Cumbria 59.30 66.90 
			 Derbyshire 70.30 70.80 
			 Devon and Cornwall 63.10 66.50 
			 Dorset 68.70 72.00 
			 Durham 59.50 67.60 
			 Dyfed-Powys 63.30 68.70 
			 Essex 62.70 70.30 
			 Gloucestershire 66.50 72.70 
			 Greater Manchester 61.20 72.10 
			 Gwent 60.00 65.60 
			 Hampshire 67.30 167.00 
			 Hertfordshire 64.20 73.00 
			 Humberside 56.60 68.30 
			 Kent 67.50 71.10 
			 Lancashire 62.50 68.10 
			 Leicestershire 67.80 70.40 
			 Lincolnshire 66.50 72.30 
			 Merseyside 61.40 72.60 
			 Metropolitan police 61.30 65.80 
			 Norfolk 66.70 70.30 
			 North Wales 63.50 66.60 
			 North Yorkshire 64.40 75.60 
			 Northamptonshire 65.50 68.80 
			 Northumbria 62.50 71.40 
			 Nottinghamshire 59.50 73.00 
			 South Wales 61.00 73.40 
			 South Yorkshire 65.90 70.20 
			 Staffordshire 66.60 68.70 
			 Suffolk 59.50 68.50 
			 Surrey 63.10 69.40 
			 Sussex 61.30 68.50 
			 Thames Valley 66.10 68.70 
			 Warwickshire 66.20 168.80 
			 West Mercia 64.60 71.80 
			 West Midlands 61.80 73.10 
			 West Yorkshire 70.60 66.70 
			 Wiltshire 63.10 68.90 
			 England and Wales 63.10 70.80

Police: Databases

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the current timetable is for implementation of the Police National Database;
	(2)  what the timetable is for the implementation of the IMPACT Cross Regional Information Sharing Project programme;
	(3)  what the cost of the IMPACT programme has been; and what he expects its projected final cost to be.

Tony McNulty: holding answers 13 March 2007
	As my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, the hon. Memberfor Enfield, North (Joan Ryan) said during the Adjournment debate called by the hon. Member for Barnsley, Central (Mr. Illsley) on 28 February 2007,  Official Report , column 307WH, we are currently evaluating options for delivering maximum value to the police service through the IMPACT programme while capitalising as much as possible on the investment already made by the Home Office and police forces. We expect to be making an announcement on the results of that evaluation shortly and this will include a timetable for implementing future IMPACT solutions.
	As at the end of January, the Home Office had invested 64.9 million in the IMPACT programme. This includes the successful delivery of the IMPACT Nominal Index; the delivery of a programme to improve information management in police forces and the allocation of substantial grant funding to forces to enable them to prepare their data for sharing. The projected final costs of the programme will be reassessed once a decision has been made on the options evaluation. We will be able to say more on this in the 4th Report on Progress on the Bichard Inquiry Recommendations, which we plan to publish in the spring.

Ports

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many ports of entry there are in the United Kingdom.

John Reid: For the purposes of the ImmigrationAct 1971 there are 57 ports of entry in the United Kingdom.

Refugees

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of refugees who will be eligible for integration loans.

Joan Ryan: Those granted refugee status, humanitarian protection under the immigration rules and their respective dependants on or after the date on which the loan scheme comes into operation will be eligible to apply for an integration loan. Numbers of eligible applicants will be dependant on how many individuals are granted the appropriate status but we are working on the assumption that there will be no significant rise in numbers from last year. In 2006, 2,170 individuals were granted refugee status and 60 were given humanitarian protection.
	The payment of a loan is not automatic and each application will be considered on its own merits.

Reoffenders: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Hartlepool have broken the terms of their  (a) bail conditions,  (b) antisocial behaviour orders and  (c) acceptable behaviour contract in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: Data extracted from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty of Failing to surrender to Bail in the Hartlepool local justice area (LJA) and the Cleveland police force area is shown in the following table.
	Data is not collected centrally on other breaches of bail condition. The figures given for Hartlepool LJA will include defendants who do not necessarily live in Hartlepool itself, but their cases were heard in Hartlepool.
	Antisocial behaviour order (ASB0) breach data are available at criminal justice system (CJS) area level only. These data relate to cases where individuals have been proven in court to have broken the terms of their ASBO.
	Data on the number of acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs) are not collected by the Home Office as they are voluntary agreements and therefore unsuitable for central data collection.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for failing to surrender to bail, in the Hartlepool local justice area and Cleveland police force area, 2001 to 2005( 1, 2) 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Hartlepool UA 268 252 287 252 270 240 257 245 151 138 
			 Cleveland Police Force Area 811 658 995 742 1,123 882 1,243 1,079 892 801 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Roads: Accidents

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many car accidents involving a pedestrian being injured or killed  (a) resulted in police successfully prosecuting a motorist and  (b) were hit and run cases with no one apprehended in each of the last five years; and what the average sentence was in each prosecution.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 26 March 2007
	While the Department for Transport monitors details of road traffic accidents including 'hit and run', this information is not linked with details of any subsequent arrests and prosecutions.
	Information collected on the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform does not identify the type of vehicle and casualty (i.e. pedestrian, driver or passenger) involved in road traffic accidents where proceedings have been brought.
	Information held on the database on the number of prosecutions and findings of guilt for 'accident' offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 section 170(4) and (7) does not distinguish between those offences which resulted in injury from those which resulted in damage or both.

Security: Heathrow Airport

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role his Department is playing in the miSense project at Heathrow Airport.

Liam Byrne: IND staff were directly involved in enrolling passengers for the miSensePlus and miSenseAllclear scheme but played no role in the miSense trial. All the miSense trials are a proof of concept and delivered by a collaboration of nine partners led by the British Airports Authority (BAA). Participation in the schemes was on an entirely voluntary basis and following the end of the trial period, all personal data is being erased.

Trespass

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been  (a) arrested for trespass and  (b) stopped by police on suspicion of trespassing in each of the designated areas established by the Serious Organised Crime and Policing Act 2005 since their designation.

Adam Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
	The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 defines a designated site as meaning a site specified or described in an order by the Secretary of State. A protected site is defined as a nuclear site or a designated site. Therefore, all designated sites and nuclear licensed sites are protected sites.
	There are a number of designated sites in the Ministry of Defence. They are:
	Her Majesty's Naval base Clyde
	Northwood Headquarters
	RAF Brize Norton
	RAF Croughton
	RAF Fairford
	RAF Feltwell
	RAF Fylindales
	RAF Lakenheath
	RAF Menwith Hill
	RAF Mildenhall
	RAF Welford
	Royal Naval Armaments Depot Coulport
	Sea Mounting Centre Marchwood.
	In addition to the above designated sites the MOD has three protected (nuclear) sites at:
	AWE Aldermaston
	AWE Burghfield
	HMNB Devonport.
	Since 2005, 11 arrests have been made by the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) for trespass; one at Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston, two at RAF Menwith Hill and eight at RAF Lakenheath. No one has been stopped by the MDP on suspicion of trespass in any of the designated areas.

Walking

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will launch a public awareness campaign to encourage people to walk more for health reasons.

Liam Byrne: No.
	This is the responsibility for the Secretary of State for Health.

Young Offenders: Prisoners on Remand

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of prisoners in each young offenders institution are remand prisoners; and how many remand prisoners have been detained for  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 60 days and  (c) over 100 days.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 14 March 2007
	The number and proportion of juveniles and young adults who were on remand in prison establishments in England and Wales at 31 January 2007, and for the specified numbers of days, can be found in the following table. Young offender institutions hold sentenced offenders, while those on remand are held in establishments under prison rules.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. It is for this reason that the information is not provided by individual prison establishment, as the numbers are not necessarily accurate to this level of detail.
	
		
			  Young adults and under 18s on remand by length of time on remand, and proportion of total sentenced and remand population at 31 January 2007 
			   Number 
			 Total 2,669 
			 Less than or equal to 30 days 921 
			 Over 30 days to less than or equal to 60 days 417 
			 60 days to less than or equal to 100 days 468 
			 Over 100 days 691 
			 Unknown(1) 172 
			 Proportion on remand 23.0 
			 (1) Includes missing or inaccurate data contained on the database.